Prayer Changes Everything.

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Prayer changes everything.

How simple is that statement? But how powerful its punch is?
I'll be completely honest with you, I'm a bad prayer.
There I said it, I admitted it. Isn't that the first step towards recovery?
I don't pray nearly as often as I should & I tend to get in the habit of only praying when I need things. Only when my life is crumbling.
I don't ever just stop and thank God. Or tell him how awesome I think the world He created is.
And, since I'm being honest. I don't always pray for other people. I am the queen of saying "Yep, I'll pray for you everyday." Then I don't do it. (By the way, those people that I have been telling throughout blog land that I'm praying for you, please don't be mad at me. I'm using you all as my accountability to start being selfless in my prayers.)

It's true that when I pray, I see answers. I see the Lord working in marvelous ways around me. He always provides exactly what I need. He is sufficient.

So why do we make this such a difficult thing? I worry a lot, remember? I also have a hard time just listening after I pray.

God told us in James 5:16 "…The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective"
WOW.
I want to be powerful.
I want to be effective.
I want to be righteous.

"Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus" 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
WOW again!
How much more "smack-ya-in-the-head" could it get. BE JOYFUL ALWAYS.
To me that means:
I better start praying during JOYFUL TIMES.
I better start GIVING THANKS.
I better start PRAYING CONTINUALLY.

It's is God's will for us to be praying & giving thanks. That doesn't mean we don't pray for healing, comfort, protection, help, and other numerous struggles. But it does mean that we need to be praying for joy, happy, excitement, thanksgiving, and other numerous rejoicing times.

I want to bring honor to the kingdom of God & if I am always whining and complaining and pestering God with my troubles instead of thanking him for giving me a wonderful husband, amazing in-laws who are taking us in, a job with a company based around faith, a healthy family, food to eat...that honor will not happen.
Plain and simple. It won't. My attitude will be wrong. My thoughts will be wrong. My heart will be wrong. I won't do anything but make people think I'm not grateful for what the Lord provides me each and every day. And that is definitely not what I want.

I'm grateful for my life & all of the things in it. It's about time I got down on my knees & said THANK YOU.