Heart Preparations

I am so looking forward to a community Women's Bible Study starting up tomorrow, using an amazing worktext (as well as video presentation), Live a Praying Life, by Jennifer Kennedy Dean. I have already gone through the first half of this study on my own about a year ago, and had wished for a group to go through it, as it is so powerful and insightful. This wish is coming true! So thankful for the three women who co-lead an area women's study, who have taken on this topic for their fall session.

There is so much to learn about prayer; I am looking forward to going deeper into the inner workings of prayer. As the author explains in the Introduction, "Prayer ... can be an activity or it can be a life. A praying life is a life of ongoing and continual interaction with God ... an uninterrupted flow of love between the Father and me."

I think that God has been preparing me for a deeper focus on prayer in these last few weeks leading up to the start of this study. It seems that the verses that are standing out to me as I read His Word, often have to do with the topic of prayer.

One such verse was from one of my favorite passages, Matthew 11:28-30 (The Message Translation). I love that whole section of verses and look at it often, but the part that jumped out at me last week was "Keep company with Me and you will learn to live freely and lightly."

The first thing that comes to my mind when I read "Keep company with Me" is a reminder to be in His Word, keeping His thoughts always before me. And an added dimension stood out to me last week ... when we keep company with someone, there must be a two-way dialogue, a continual sharing of thoughts. Not only do I want to keep God's thoughts before me throughout the day, but I also want to be communicating my thoughts with Him all through the day. A constant dialogue. And the result of continually dialoguing with our great Creator God ... we will learn to live freely and lightly.

Loving Father, please lead me, and each of the women who will be taking part in this powerful study, to all that You long to teach us about living a praying life. Not looking at prayer as an activity, but as our life.