prayer

it took a very long time before i was ever able to pray in our small group bible study. these are women i have met with weekly for years and i am comfortable in their presence. it is quite another matter to pray in other small groups that i am now involved in. i am very self-conscience of sounding stupid or tripping over my words.

a couple of months ago God put it on my heart to pray for Unreached People Groups of the world - http://www.joshuaproject.net/ethne.php?es=1

i never knew how to pray or what to pray for but as they have specific prayer requests each day i could just read the prayers. since i started doing this it has grown in me and become alive, not just something i read off the page anymore.

2 weeks ago at the perspectives class the speaker said that he is in bed every nght at 10:00. he is african and is in the habit of praying every morning for a couple of hours.

i used to pray at night. watch a movie til 11:00 then pray for awhile. i slept crappy and woke up tired. the past couple of nights i have gone to bed at 10 and woken up just after 5. i have better sleep so i don't wake up tired and i start the day with an hour & 1/2 of prayer. what a way to start the day. i had been reading my bible first thing in the am and only saying a few short prayers.

years ago in costa rica susan gave me a note saying that God had called me to costa rica to be a prayer warrior. knowing my inability (fear of) to speak a prayer out loud i thought she must be kidding.

reading the prayer requests every day for the nations of the world it is becoming easier, more natural. speaking prayers from the heart rather than just reading them off the page.

if you feel inadequate as a pray-er check out that website. start reading the specific prayer requests for the upg's of the world. not only will it will increase the number of people praying for the nations, prayer will become easier and more natural.