DEVOTION- Heart Trouble

Prayer works even if you aren't good at it

I am not good at prayer. My logical brain is better at reading the Bible and serving in ministry. I like things that can be measured and seen with my eyes. For me, prayer is elusive and mysterious, something I believe in but I’m not always sure how to do “right”.

This past week my dad had a major heart event. He went into what they call ventricular tachycardia where his pulse was 249 bpm for forty-five minutes as they worked on him in the Emergency Room. They had to shock him twice before it would come down enough to rush him into emergency surgery.

It has been a long week of emergency rooms and hospital visits, questions without answers, and answers that weren’t what we hoped to hear. They are the kind of answers that put a pin in life’s timeline, dividing everything into the before and after. Something deep has shifted.

At the same time, I can’t help but be overwhelmed by my blessings...

- a crisp morning sunrise that promises a new day

- a phone call at just the right moment

- friends who sit with us into the early morning hours

- people in traffic who let you in as you rush to the ER

- food delivered with a hug from a friend

- peace that passes understanding

- hugging my brother at the airport

- doctors who draw dry erase marker diagrams on hospital windows

- friends who give space for the tears to fall

- nurses who cut to the chase and say the things they are supposed to keep secret

- seeing my dad laugh with old friends

- technology and medicine. all the medicine.

- an intricately designed body that defies the odds

- coming home to a clean house

- Most importantly, PRAYERS...

Prayers in text messages, voicemails, phone calls, DMs and group chats.

Prayers in waiting rooms, elevators, cars, and at bedsides.

Prayers with strangers, with family, with friends.

Prayers when the words won’t come, gasped through tears, and flooded with gratitude.

Prayers that hold me up and remind me who is in control.

Prayers that carry me through when there is nothing left to do but pray.

Yes, something deep has shifted, but what hasn’t shifted is God’s provision, grace, and love. He was, and is, and always will be. We don’t have to be “good at prayer,” because we pray to a good God.

We can make our plans, but the LORD determines our steps.

Proverbs 16:9, NLT

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Ephesians 4:6-7, NIV

In our culture, it is challenging to sit still and pray. It is counter-intuitive and grates against everything we’re inclined to do. But when there is nothing to do but pray, when everything is out of our control, something incredible happens. God’s inconceivable promise of peace in the moments which should be the most chaotic comes flooding in in the most surprising way.

Only when the last shred of control slips through our fingers and we are left with empty hands, do we recognize that God has been grasping our hands all along. We can only embrace him back when we let everything else go. For those out there like me who need a visual and tangible way to understand prayer, this is what prayer looks like. It is letting go of everything else, so we can hold on to the One who has been holding us all along.

But it is more than that, too, because prayer isn’t only personal, but also communal. In moments when the bottom falls out, when we don’t even have the strength to reach out for God, the prayers of others lift us into His arms. Our minds want to figure out the formula for how this works, but that isn’t possible. Even though there is no concrete way to measure the effects of prayers for others, the Bible says they make a difference, and after my week, I can attest it is true.

We may never know how to pray “right” or be able to chart the effectiveness of prayer on a graph, but we can trust God when He tells us to pray. We can let go of our worries and reach out for Him. We can rest in His peace when the world around us is burning. We can feel His presence in the darkest moments. And we can pray on behalf of others to help them experience it, too.

Whatever you are facing today, start with prayer, and may the peace of God guard your heart and mind in Christ Jesus.

Father, thank you for inviting us to talk to you about everything we face. Thank you for giving us unimaginable peace when we set our worries aside and reach for you. Your peace is unlike anything this world offers, and I choose to rest in you today.

Spend a few minutes talking with God. Then, reply and let me know how I can be praying for you today.

*My dad is currently stable and each morning I am grateful to have another day with him. Please pray as he has another procedure on Monday.

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New on the podcast!

Growth in the Grief

How do we continue as moms when grief takes hold? Guest Cassandra Armstrong shares wisdom from Psalm 34:18, Romans 5:3-4, and Isaiah 53:3 to help us navigate seasons of loss. She reminds us that Jesus understands our grief ad promises His presence and strength in the middle of the pain.

I edited this podcast episode the day we ended up at the hospital, and I didn’t know how much I would need these words. May they give you hope in a season of grief as well.

Cassandra is giving away a copy of her book, Growth in the Grief, to one of you! Click below to enter Feb. 2-12.

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New release!

Book 6 in the Gold Feather Gardeners series quietly released this week while I sat with dad thinking about other things.

The Cowbird’s Truth teaches kids ages 6-11 about forgiveness in a way they can understand, relate to, and apply. I pray it helps open conversations with your kids about what Biblical forgiveness looks like.

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See you next week. God Bless!

Erin Greneaux