Monday, February 18, 2013

Day 6 - How to pray

At our kick of rally, we covered some important topics - and as i was listening to Kay'd talk about prayer i thought that with her permission, maybe i should try to include some of what she shared here.

Kay'd has been praying at the Kensington abortion clinic for years - and one of the first things that she encouraged us to pray was for Jesus to be with us. I love that... so like a child to come to our Father and acknowledge our need of Him.

Secondly, we were encouraged to pray for protection. So many of our Catholic brothers and sisters have beautiful prayers memorized for the times when words fail. One of the ones that was mentioned at our meeting was a prayer for the protection of Archangel Michael:

Saint Michael the Archangel, defend us in battle, be our protection against the malice and snares of the devil. May God rebuke him we humbly pray; and do thou, O Prince of the Heavenly host, by the power of God, thrust into hell Satan and all evil spirits who wander through the world for the ruin of souls. Amen.

This prayer reminds me of the story in Daniel chapter 10 when Michael responds to Daniel in his distress. We too, are heard...

We were encouraged to keep in mind all who need our prayers: (Feel free to add to this list!)
- those contemplating abortion.
- the conversion of abortionists, clinic workers, nurses and administration.
- those little ones suffering from the violence in the womb - the mothers and fathers of the aborted innocents and their extended families.
 - political leaders, the court and justice systems, leaders of our health care system and all those in positions of power who allow this to continue.
- for tax laws to change - so that we are no longer forced to pay for something that is morally abhorrent.
- for the community passing by in traffic - that their conscience may be stirred to more fully consider and understand the abortion issue.
- for the protection of all those on the front lines of this spiritual battle.

Kay'd and her family are Catholic, and they often choose to pray the rosary. Others choose to read and meditate on psalms or other pieces of scripture, prayers that are sent out in our campaigns - or just listening to the Holy Spirit and praying as He leads...

There are times when silence is appropriate - listening, grieving, allowing ourselves to be transformed. Prayer is powerful that way. It doesn't have to be noisy and full of words - our Father understands our groans, our tears and our wordless pleadings too.

Prayer is the foundational aspect of this campaign - and worthy of our focus and care as we bring our desires to our Heavenly Father who loves each one.

"Again, truly I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything they ask for, it will be done for them by my Father in heaven. For where two or three gather in my name, there am I with them." Matthew 18:19-20

"Dear Lord, you know what holds me back. It's easy to tell myself that I am too insignificant to make a difference, especially when you call me out of my comfort zone. I confess, Lord, that all too often I have trouble seeing past the rain on my windshield and forget - or even worse, don't believe - that you have a grand, eternal plan and that you call me to play my part in it. Today I pray for your strength in the simple obedience to step out no matter what the world things of me. And I ask you to give me the boldness to play my part in your work of saving lives. Amen."

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