Devote yourselves to prayer with an alert mind and a
thankful heart. Colossians 4:2
We have all known people who are devoted to their hobbies,
house, movies, digital gadgets, pets, or plants but how many do you know who
are devoted to prayer? When I was a child growing up in Somalia the
missionaries would devote one day a month to prayer, besides their daily brief
afternoon prayer meetings. I joined them and discovered what it means to be
devoted to prayer. What a privilege to have that modeled before me as a child!
Ed and I love to start a new year by taking a few days
to devote ourselves to prayer, reflection, evaluation, and listening to the
Spirit’s voice for any new messages, reminders, or instructions and this year
was no exception. After a full Christmas month of ministry we packed our bags
and drove out to our familiar getaway
place just outside the city.
It did not take long until restlessness set in. The
first thing that made me restless was a feeling of being closed in and shut
down. Normal routine and activity was
temporarily put on hold. However, the short time away devoted to prayer proved
beneficial. We can get addicted to people, work, digital gadgets and even
ministry. We love what God has called us
to even though it brings huge challenges and frustrations from time to time. We
are confronted with a host of spiritual battles. Even as we devoted our few
days to prayer, simultaneously our minds were alerted to the satirical cartoon
attacks in Paris unfolding on TV. I
guess that is why Paul exhorts us to not only be devoted to prayer but to be
alert. What was happening not only in
the earthly realms but the heavenly realms, too? What message should come from
the Church? We were “on alert.”
Such prayer retreats have a way of centering us,
renewing our first focus on God Himself, and showing us anything which needs to
be changed or aligned differently. This year the Spirit communicated to me that
I need to release certain Muslim acquaintances who are clearly not responding
for whatever reason that might be. This is very hard for me to do. For some
people it might be the easiest and most logical thing to do but not for me. As
I read over my 2014 journal, reflecting on how ministry went, I could clearly
see how easily I would get in a funk of vexation with encountering unresponsive
people. When I eventually released them unto the Lord a fresh freedom swept
over me and He moved me on to new people. Simply put, unresponsive people bogged
me down from time to time throughout the past year. The Spirit spoke to me how
Jesus did not get bogged down with unresponsive people. He kept moving to new
encounters waiting to see how people would respond. Sometimes I just need to take some
reflection/prayer time to hear the Spirit speak to me.
Now we have returned home refreshed and invigorated
and more certain of discerning God’s will in our lives. What a great way to
begin a new year.
Dear heavenly Father, thank you for speaking to me
when I devote myself to prayer. In Jesus’ name, Amen. 
