Rocky Mountain Climbing #10

Who do you pray for?

One of my most memorable experiences in Choices was the “Waterfall of Forgiveness”. 8.5 years ago I did not think I deserved forgiveness for leaving my marriage and two wonderful children. The experience I had helped me to allow forgiveness for myself. It did not take away the accountability for my actions, but it did allow me to move forward with more freedom and resolve.

Now I use the idea of the “waterfall” everyday when I do my daily devotional. In the last 8.5 years I probably have only forgotten to start my day doing this a handful of times. That is how important this has become in my life.

My devotional praying has changed over the years as I have met more and more people and have been influenced by the Holy Spirit. I know I can’t pray for everyone I would like to, but I make an honest attempt to keep people in my prayers.

I pray for my children and for Suzy, my mother and father and Suzy’s mother and father. For Suzy’s wonderful daughter Suzanne, her husband and the 4 grandchildren. As a “Bonus Dad” I am allowed to call then my grandchildren. I pray for my sisters and their kids and husbands, significants and extended families. I pray for my step father who died of Lou Gehrig’s, my funny uncle George, my uncle Wayne and my Dad’s wife Anne and her family. I pray for my two ex-wives.

I pray for Thelma and the work she does. I pray by “group” name for all of the people I have coached over the years and for my original group. Praying for the 37^th Power is kind of weird I must admit.

I pray for a girl, who’s father was so distraught at her dating a black man, he committed suicide right in front of her. Later I was at her funeral following a car wreck that killed her instantly. She had already received peace on earth and God had bigger plans for her in heaven. I still send her emails when I email the group. It bounces back to me… but it seems fitting. I do not delete her bounce backs.

I pray for a man I worked beside as a coach less than a year ago who took his own life recently.

I pray for Steve Davis, a most wonderfully flawed man not unlike myself, that spoke to me in such a way that I gave my heart to Jesus Christ in a Choices Sunday sermon.

I pray for my pastors and my church that has been such a wonderful experience. I am eternally grateful to have been allowed to teach a Disciple Bible class for now going on 4 years.

I pray for my Emmaus Walk brothers and sisters and the Reunion Group I attend once a week.

Then I pray for people I know needing special prayers. I have prayed for my friend Terry for 4 years as he has battled cancer. I pray for Coni who is battling so much but does so with such a spirit of JOY as to be beyond this world.

And then, I pray for me.

For if I don’t ask for the medicine of God’s Love, how will I ever be able to help someone else?

So who do you pray for?

Tell me, so I can pray for them as well. I’ve got plenty of time.

This entry was posted on Wednesday, December 20th, 2006 at 8:17 pm and is filed under Choices, RMC. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.