We are to PRAY—without stopping, without ceasing, continually every day & night.  Just last night, my niece sent the same admission within a group text message to each one of us, encouraging us to PRAY for our nation, for today’s election, and for our country to return humbly back to God.

• We are to constantly talk with God.
• We are to take all concerns to our Father.
• We are to seek Him in all things.
• We are to cry to Him every single day we live.

WHY?

• Because we know our Father answers PRAYER!
• Because the Lord is generous even when His blessings seem delayed.
• Because He is not reluctant to bless His children.
• Because we are free in Him.
• Because we can PRAY, coming into His presence any time to seek Him.

Because in praying, we see His Delay Is His Preparation—so Keep PRAYING!

Yesterday, I stopped at the bank drive-thru on the way home, a different location than where I usually stop.  Nonetheless, I needed to do some banking and the hour was getting late.  They would soon close, so I pulled into the drive thru to do my banking.  The teller was pleasant; she conducted my banking for me, but then, the teller failed to give me the printed receipt.  ALWAYS, I receive a printed receipt, but not today, so I compelled the teller to please give me a receipt.

Maybe you are reading and find this discourse odd, but you see: GOD ANSWERS PRAYERS!

The teller did not print a receipt but wrote for me a receipt.  Then I drove home.  Somewhere between the bank and my home, I lost my handwritten receipt, the one with my bank account numbers she had so carefully written.  Last night, I searched my vehicle twice.  I went through some trash I had thrown away, and still at bedtime, the receipt could not be found, so, I BEGAN TO PRAY.

That was the only way I could lay down my head on the pillow and sleep, for I feared that another might somehow be able to access my bank account through the handwritten receipt that I had lost.

The Lord brought sleep to me, and sometime during the wee hours, the Lord allowed me to dream of my precious Grandma Hall.  In the dream, she spoke Scripture to my soul.  In my dream, my grandma spoke this verse from the Bible—

This morning, the Lord shook me awake early, so I arose to study my Bible, and would you believe—

HE LED ME TO READ ABOUT PRAYER!

As God’s children, we have the authority & the ability to live as God commands.  Each Christian can step into the presence of God with the bowing of our heads, with the bending of our knees & with the opening of our hearts.

LORD JESUS,

INCREASE AS YOU HELP US DECREASE.

HELP US LORD,

TO BE HUMBLE, FINDING YOUR STRENGTH AND JOY AS WE MINISTER TO THOSE WHO SURROUND US.

LORD JESUS,

LET US NEVER FORGET THAT APART FROM YOU, WE CAN ACCOMPLISH NOTHING, BUT

YOU, LORD, CAN DO ALL THINGS!

LEAD US, LORD,

TO SEE THE DIFFERENCE IS COMPLETELY—YOU!

IN JESUS’ NAME, WE PRAY, AMEN.

This morning, as I made my coffee, I found my receipt on the kitchen floor, in a place that I passed a half dozen times yesterday evening.  Some might call this ‘finding of the receipt’ a coincidence, but I call it what it is—

GOD’S PROVIDENCE!

His Delay Is His Preparation—so Keep PRAYING!

Today, may we PRAY & may we live under God’s protection & may we exist within God’s control.