We received this wonderful note at PrayerFire recently that speaks for itself -
"take it to the Lord in Prayer - and leave it there!"

My heart has been heavy this week as I am praying that our group,
as well as our church, stays vibrant, and vitalized in the life of Christ.
We must stay faithful and allow Him to refresh us daily in prayer and in
His word. In addition, I am praying for unity. May we give our frustrations
and burdens and, yes, complaints with and toward each other, to Him
to bear. I was studying Moses and the Israelites and how they grumbled
to Moses and he responded, essentially, "You are grumbling to the Lord,"
then he turned his concerns and anxieties over to the Lord. We can (barely)
only control our own behavior; however, our prayer life has the power to
change us, the situations around us, and even others' hearts toward us.
So often I relegate prayer to being the least of that which I can do ("all I can
do is pray"), when it should be the first and most essential thing I do when
faced with a stressful situation. Like the Israelites, I am tempted to grumble
to others about a problem that is the Lord's.

We are allowed to (in reverence and acceptance of His sovereignty),
take even our frustrations and anger about situations where we feel He
should be more evident, to Him, appealing to His nature. We can claim His
promises, His character, and His names, as our source of anything we need.

Growing up, I thought prayer was a lot like grammar and math.
There were rules to follow and one had to be careful to follow them.
  It was also understood not to bother God with “the small stuff”.
  Then I enrolled in a class that taught the concept of “how to pray”
and my life changed.

Suddenly it wasn't about what prayer was not….  but what prayer IS.

Prayer is a relationship with God that starts when you open your eyes
in the morning and continues through the day until you say “goodnight”
at the end of the day.  As our creator, master and friend, God longs
to hear from us all day, about everything.

Thanking God, Praising God, Adoring God, Asking God and
Listening to God is something I do all day now.  Whether I am driving
(I often turn off my radio just to have quiet time with God), vacuuming,
taking a walk, or setting aside time for prayer … God is listening,
and moreover, is waiting to hear from us.

Developing a relationship with God through prayer takes work.  However, no relationship brings more comfort and the promise to endure forever.

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving present your request to God, and the peace of God
which passes all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds
in Christ Jesus.” . . . . . Philippians 4:6-7

Reflection from Holly