Monday, July 21, 2014

Sighs and Prayers

Daisies*

How often do you sigh? 

Recently I realized I was sighing a lot. And God spoke to me and said to pray every time I do. Generally when I sigh, I’m doing one of four things: 

1) Reliving an ugly moment in my life. 

2) Worrying about a future moment in my life. 

3) Needing a deep breath. 

4) Feeling content. 

Another question for you: is sighing a sin? 

No, I don’t believe it is. If it were, contented sighs would be ungodly, and that’s ridiculous. (grin) 

But I love God’s invitation: pray whenever I sigh. First, that causes me to stop and think about why I did. Was I feeling regret? Worry? Contentment? I could pray about all of these. I could leave the past in the past, extracting the lessons. I could trust God with the future—that upcoming situation that could require what I couldn’t give. I could thank Him for the current blessings that made me feel grateful. What an invitation. 

Oftentimes we sigh because we’re under a burden. By turning those things over to God, we let Him take the burden—which leads to less stress in our lives. 

Do you ever pray about something and “leave it with God,” only to fret about it later? 

This invitation to pray every time I sigh is a great exercise in praying without ceasing, in releasing my burdens to the Lord, in living out my trust. 

How has God graciously helped you lately? 

* Photo credit: freedigitalphotos.net "Daisies" by Gualberto107

Sunday, July 13, 2014

Music Share: You Make Me Brave from Bethel Music

Sang this one at church camp this week, a few times. Now it's running through my mind over and over. Enjoy!