A Living Walking Running Prayer

I love to run. I might not always love it while I am doing it, but afterward I feel so good. I feel like I defeated  my myself and forced myself be better than I was the day prior. I always run with 1 Corinthians 9:24-27 bouncing around my mind. Especially vs. 27 that says, "I strike my body and make it my slave so that after I have preached to others, I myself will not be disqualified for the prize."  I know Paul is using running as an example for spiritual things, but I think the analogy is really magnificent. Now, if you're like me you love to think. I think most when I run and it also helps to clear my head of the worldly things I struggle with on a daily basis. Today, like most every day, I went for a run. But during my run today I began to think of my small group that I lead. I have been talking to my girls about praying. When I talk to them about it, it also encourages me and reminds me the importance of prayer. Prayer has always been one my biggest struggles in my relationship with my Jesus. I suddenly stopped running, ripped out my earphones, and started walking. Now keep in mind, the great thing about my daily runs is that I run in a field by my house. I began to just talk to God as I walked through this field. I just talked to Him like I would to my dearest friends. I talked to Him about girls in my bible study. I prayed for them specifically. I prayed for my friends from school. I talked to God about this next school year in comparison to last school year. After I told Him my goals for this next school year, I  paused and just walked in silence. Then I finally said, "Jesus let my life be a living prayer to you." Now, I know we are supposed to be silent and be still in His presence. I love to do that. But after today, I believe that He can convict your heart of certain things with the very words that you speak to Him. That's what He did to me today. Last week at my small group I was sitting among my dear girls and told them something I had heard about a year or two ago. Someone told me, "When you wake up start a pray and don't say amen till you lay your head down at night. That way, every waking moment is a prayer to your Jesus. Everything you do and say is directly to Jesus." Now after I told them this, one of my girls said, "Well, I don't know that would be a good thing. I don't know if I want everything I do and say would be good to pray to Jesus." That's exactly my point. Everything we say and do should be a prayer to our sweet Jesus. Now, doesn't that make you want to think before you do everything? Personally, I don't know if I would want everything I say to my siblings to be the same as saying it to Jesus' face. But actually it already is. Our lives are a living prayer to our Jesus no matter if we like it or not. God hears our prayers and He also hears everything we say. How silly are we humans to think that we can hide from God when we want to. We think He doesn't see us when we are doing things that He wouldn't approve of. In reality, He sees us every moment and second of the day. He hears every thought that crosses our mind and sees every breath that we take. We must begin to live a life of prayer because our lives are prayers. Why do you think that the people of the Church look so much like the people of the world? We as christians have forgotten what it looks live a life for Christ. We have forgotten how to stand up and be different. We are so used to brining all the attention to ourselves that we have forgotten how to sit back and let Jesus take the spotlight. I believe that Jesus has called us to something different and something uniquely special. Something that the world could never even hope to reflect. A life of  living prayer.

"I call on you, my God, for you will answer me; turn your ear to me and hear my prayer. Show me the wonders of your great love, you who save by your right hand those who take refuge in you from their foes. Keep me as the apple of your eye; hide me in the shadow or your wings." Psalm 17:6-8