Amazing Grace of Prayer

I have been making more of an effort this month of reading about and actually praying more. Praying more often, more deliberately, more focused.

It has been amazing to me, although it shouldn't, how God has answered and given me His peace that passes understanding.

I have been struggling lately with some personal things.  Yesterday, while out with Bri, I was praying while he ran into a store for something.  I prayed for a specific thing to happen in the next few days.  Not 30 minutes later it happened!  It was nothing less than a God thing.  I told my friend about it later and she agreed.

Each morning I read a couple devotionals during my quiet time. Jesus Calling and My Utmost for His Highest.  It amazes me how often God uses those to encourage and reinforce what I am going through at that particular time.  Today was no exception.

Today's reading in My Utmost was about overcoming depression. The second half reads:

"When the Spirit of God comes He does not give us visions, He tells us to do the most ordinary things conceivable.  Depression is apt to turn us away from the ordinary commonplace things of God's creation, but whenever God comes, the inspiration is to do the most natural simple things- things we would never have imagined God was in, and as we do them we find He is there. The inspiration which comes to us in this way is an initiative against depression; we have to do the next thing and do it in the inspiration of God.  If we do a thing in order to overcome depression, we deepen the depression; but if the Spirit of God makes us feel intuitively that we must do the thing, and we do it, the depression is gone.  Immediately we arise and obey, we enter on a higher plane of life."

I encountered this last night.  I knew I needed prayer. Whenever God is working on me about doing something I get a heaviness in my chest. Similar to nervousness but different.  I had that heaviness all during church service. After church I asked the pastor to pray for me. He and his wife took me into the office and prayed over me and I felt so much lighter when I left. Placing my burden at Christ's feet.

Leat