HOW DO WE PRAY AT ALL TIMES?

It is a joy to introduce to you my friend Julie Gillies.  She is the author of Prayers for a Woman’s Soul (Harvest House Publishers). Healed from a traumatic childhood and awed that God saved her seriously troubled marriage, her message helps women pray with boldness, confidence, and the certainty that God hears. Julie is the Critique Groups Director for Proverbs 31 Ministries, and serves on the editorial team of P31 Woman magazine. She’s the joyful wife of Keith, mom of two soldiers and one civilian, and Grammy of four. She loves hanging out with the entire gang at home, especially on days when her house is clean. Connect with Julie at: www.JulieGillies.com

                                 Details are at the bottom for a free autographed book giveaway.

If your life is anything like mine, you don't exactly lounge around in satin, leopard-print pajamas and feathery high-heel slippers while savoring gourmet chocolates all day long. Not that you wouldn't like to, occasionally. But face it, our lives are not foofy like that. (I just made up the word foofy, and think it fits here perfectly.)

Instead, you probably juggle commitments and family situations, run lots of errands, prepare a gazillion meals, squeeze in the laundry and vanquish dog-hair tumbleweeds lurking in the hallway, just like I do. But when it comes to praying, it probably doesn't happen nearly as often as it should, let alone at all times.

I think the reason most of us neglect to pray at all times, as Ephesians 6:18 tells us, is that we picture prayer as something done only on our knees, at a specific hour of the day. Or, we think prayer must happen while we're alone in our bedroom, with the door shut so we can actually have five minutes without being interrupted. And don't get me wrong, there are times we need to get alone with God and pray down heaven. I hope we do this more often than not.

But waiting for the perfect time to pray is like waiting for our lives to be perfect before we decide we're ready to have kids. If we did that, well, we'd all be lounging around in leopard-print pajamas....no, no, no. If we wait for everything to be perfect, prayer (and babies) will not happen.

The number one way to pray at all times is to pray the moment you think of it--even if you're doing something else. If while bathing your baby you suddenly begin thinking about all of the orphans in Haiti, whisper a prayer--right then and there.

If your daughter starts flashing attitude on the drive to school one morning, pray right then, while she's rolling those eyes. If you are chopping vegetables for dinner and your mind drifts off to an uncle that you haven't seen in ages, take the hint: pray for him while you cook. When you finish talking with an old friend and hang up the phone with a heavy heart, pray immediately--even if you go back to sweeping the floor.

These are all examples of promptings of the Holy Spirit, and they happen all day long. Praying at all times is simply a matter of paying attention to these promptings, then obeying. Remember: our prayers truly make an eternal difference...wherever and whenever they are prayed.

"Pray at all times, on every occasion, in every season, in the Spirit, with all manner of prayer and entreaty." Ephesians 6:18

**FREE AUTOGRAPHED BOOK GIVEAWAY DETAILS:  To be entered in Julie's book giveaway, please share in the comment section one practical way you can pray at all times and share this post to Twitter or Facebook.  (see links below)  (The winner will be selected randomly on March 14th and will need to supply Hester with their mailing address.)