Praying - It's Easier than You Think
Prayer is one of the simplest yet most powerful form of self-expression. Today I would like to share a favourite story from "Streams in the Desert, Book 2" entry date May 12.
The story is told of a shabby old gentleman who every day at twelve o'clock would enter the church, stay a few minutes, then leave. The caretaker was concerned for the valuable altar furnishings. Every day he watched to be sure nothing was taken, and every day just at twelve the shabby figure would arrive. One day the caretaker accosted him. "Look here, my friend, what are you up to, going into the church every day?""I go to pray" replied the old man politely.
"Now come", the cautious caretaker said, "you don't stay long enough to pray."
"True enough. I cannot pray a long prayer, but every day I just comes and says 'Jesus, it's Jim'. Then I waits a minute, then comes away. I guess He hears me though it's but a little prayer."
One day Jim was knocked down crossing the street and was laid up in the hospital with a broken leg. The ward where Jim quite happily lay was a sore spot to the nurses on duty. Some of the men were cross and miserable, others did nothing but grumble from morning till night. Slowly but surely the men stopped their grumbling and were cheerful and contented.
One day as the nurse was walking through the ward she heard the men laughing. "What has happened to all of you? You are such a cheerful lot of patients lately?"
"It's old Jim", they replied, "He's always cheerful, never complains, although he is uncomfortable and in pain."
The nurse walked over to Jim's bed where the silvery haired Jim lay with an angelic look on his smiling face. "Well Jim, these men say you're the cause for the change in this ward. They say you are always happy."
"Aye, that I am, nurse. I can't help it. You see, nurse, it's my visitor. He makes me happy."
"Visitor?" The nurse was indeed puzzled for she had never noticed any visitor by Jim's bed. The chair was always empty during visiting hours. "When does your visitor come?"
"Every day," replied Jim with the light in his eyes growing brighter. "Yup, every day at twelve o'clock He comes and stands at the foot of my bed. I see Him there, and He smiles at me and says "Jim, it's Jesus."
Yesterday I said that I would share some tips on how to pray. I am just sharing one tip today and that is to pray like Jim did. "God, this is Jim". Of course you can make it longer than that if you want, but be assured, that if you simply want to connect with God, you need only call out his name, and you have a prayer!
Of course prayer can be much more involved than that. But it doesn't have to be. Just start talking to God and let it unfold....
WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you pray? Would you like to try?
Don't give up! There is hope for depression.
"True enough. I cannot pray a long prayer, but every day I just comes and says 'Jesus, it's Jim'. Then I waits a minute, then comes away. I guess He hears me though it's but a little prayer."
One day Jim was knocked down crossing the street and was laid up in the hospital with a broken leg. The ward where Jim quite happily lay was a sore spot to the nurses on duty. Some of the men were cross and miserable, others did nothing but grumble from morning till night. Slowly but surely the men stopped their grumbling and were cheerful and contented.
One day as the nurse was walking through the ward she heard the men laughing. "What has happened to all of you? You are such a cheerful lot of patients lately?"
"It's old Jim", they replied, "He's always cheerful, never complains, although he is uncomfortable and in pain."
The nurse walked over to Jim's bed where the silvery haired Jim lay with an angelic look on his smiling face. "Well Jim, these men say you're the cause for the change in this ward. They say you are always happy."
"Aye, that I am, nurse. I can't help it. You see, nurse, it's my visitor. He makes me happy."
"Visitor?" The nurse was indeed puzzled for she had never noticed any visitor by Jim's bed. The chair was always empty during visiting hours. "When does your visitor come?"
"Every day," replied Jim with the light in his eyes growing brighter. "Yup, every day at twelve o'clock He comes and stands at the foot of my bed. I see Him there, and He smiles at me and says "Jim, it's Jesus."
Yesterday I said that I would share some tips on how to pray. I am just sharing one tip today and that is to pray like Jim did. "God, this is Jim". Of course you can make it longer than that if you want, but be assured, that if you simply want to connect with God, you need only call out his name, and you have a prayer!
Of course prayer can be much more involved than that. But it doesn't have to be. Just start talking to God and let it unfold....
WHAT ABOUT YOU? How are you feeling today? Do you pray? Would you like to try?
Don't give up! There is hope for depression.
