If we are truly honest…we’ve all been there. We’ve all had a time when we were listening to someone else pray and we are convinced they will never stop. Maybe it is at a meal and we are starving…and we know we can’t dig in until we hear that much anticipated word…AMEN. Or maybe we are in a church service and we are already struggling to stay awake, so having to listen to someone go on and on and on…just isn’t helping. So, we keep pinching ourselves trying to stay conscious until we hear them finally say…AMEN.
Most of us know the word AMEN is a closing to a prayer. We know that once we hear that word…the prayer is over. But do we know why we use that word? Is it just to signal completion of our time talking to our Heavenly Father?
I did some reading on this last week and I found that AMEN is a Hebrew word that is essentially an affirmation of truth or agreement, meaning something like ‘so be it’, ‘it is so’, or ‘it is true’. When we end a prayer with the word AMEN, we are acknowledging that we believe God actively hears our prayers, and that our prayers will be answered by Him in His time. One commentary said that AMEN is an expression that all those things we just asked for in prayer, all the things we praised God for, all the questions, all the pain and the joy we express in prayer are founded in the truth of God.
What would happen if we really grasped what the word AMEN means AND what if we didn’t voice this word until we went to bed at night. Let me explain. Do you know that God wants us to talk to Him throughout our day? He wants to be in constant communication with us from the time we rise in the morning until we lay our head on the pillow at night. But, unfortunately, it is so easy for us to quickly rattle off to God in the morning what we need Him to do for us that day…end with our AMEN…and then we are off and running and don’t give Him another thought. And we wonder why we get more and more frazzled with each passing hour.
Maybe we should try an experiment. What if we were intentional to spend at least 15 minutes with God first thing every morning…reading His Word and then spending some time in prayer. Then, instead of saying AMEN…let’s say “Talk to you soon Jesus”. Then, throughout your day…be intentional on implementing “Pause Prayers”. Before you get out of your car at work…just take 30 seconds to pause and reconnect with Him again…praying for direction and focus while you work. Or, if you are a stay-at-home parent…pause and reconnect again while you do the dishes or pick up toys. Before you meet with a client…just take a few seconds to pause and close your eyes and ask Jesus to direct your words so His love will flow through you. Throughout your day, be intentional to just take a few moments to pause and reconnect through prayer with your Heavenly Father.
Then, when you climb into bed at night, thank Him for walking with you that day and then ask Him to give you a mind, body and spirit which is filled with His peace so you can get a good night’s rest and then say AMEN. SO BE IT Lord.
I’m guessing that if we incorporate “Pause Prayers” into our day…we will feel more focused and peaceful as we serve Him in all that we do. So, give it a try today…but remember…keep the conversation going throughout your day and then say AMEN before you go to sleep. SO BE IT Lord!
“Always be joyful. Never stop praying.
Be thankful in all circumstances,
for this is God's will for you
who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
No comments:
Post a Comment