[Faith-talk] {Spam?} Daily Thought for Saturday, June 11, 2016

[Paul Smith]

Hello and greetings from a Baltimore day that promises to be a hot one 
for us, and that's why I did my walk around the block earlier this 
morning.  Hope your day is going well, by God's matchless grace and His 
providential care.

The article selected for this time was written by a Massachusetts 
resident named Heather Campeau.  It was posted earlier, but many of you 
probably weren't on my lists to read it.  It is entitled "What Running 
Teaches About Prayer," rendered as follows:

In college, I began a diet and exercise regimen to eliminate the 
"freshman fifteen." At the time, my mother remarked, "You exercise 
_religiously." As I was not walking as closely with the Lord at that 
time, her comment pricked my conscience.  Now, about 20 years later, I 
have learned some parallels in these disciplines.  The Bible says, 
"Train yourself to be godly.  For physical training is some value, but 
godliness has value for all things, holding promise for both the 
present life and the life to come" (1 Tim. 4:7-8 NIV).



Discipline

Running requires great discipline.  In my hometown, there was a teacher 
who regularly ran the Boston Marathon.  She would run before school 
started, in the dark, in the capricious New England weather, and then 
teach middle school students for the rest of the day.  Like running, 
the discipline of prayer must be top priority in our lives.  Often it 
means that one must rise early in the morning and take time alone to 
seek God's will.



Passion

Runners are crazy people.  Runners run all types of weather because 
they love it.  I have completed three marathons, and all types of 
people participate.  Some participants wear costumes; some don mullet 
wigs for the course.  There is an annual 5-K in which everyone dresses 
as Santa Claus.  I read an article about a woman who wore a wedding 
gown through a mud run.  Recently, ultra marathons have become the rage 
where individuals run hundreds of miles, twenty-four hours a day.  Eric 
Liddell is famous for saying, "When I run, I feel God's pleasure."

I knew a woman who was passionate about prayer.  Debbie Erickson served 
behind the scenes at church, singing in the choir, making the world's 
best whoopee pies, making crafts for Vacation Bible School, and praying 
for others.  Although a prayer warrior, Debbie was a humble woman and 
did not have her driver's license.  She relied on others to take her to 
the grocery store, doctors' appointments, church, and social events.  
She became so passionate about her prayer ministry for incarcerated 
youth that in her 40's, she decided to get her driver's license so she 
could minister to the forgotten boys in juvenile prisons.  Debbie was a 
creative, passionate Christian who died more than a year ago (2013).  I 
know she is enjoying the presence of Jesus, because she passionately 
served Him during her life.



Perseverance

Runners need perseverance to continue running and stay in top form.  
Often in prayer, we need to persevere to see a situation through.  An 
area that I have been persisting in prayer is my husband's work.  He is 
continually seeking his niche, and as a result, he has had more than 25 
jobs during his lifetime.  I often get discouraged and wonder if God is 
listening; we have to remember that God's timing is different from 
ours.  Another area in which I need perseverance is praying for my 
children.  Daily I go to the Lord and ask for His protection and 
guidance as my children grow.  The Lord has seen us through surgeries, 
braces, school, growing pains, vacations, and friendships.  As they 
continue to grow and change, I will continue to pray for their concerns.



Cross-training

Runners supplement their training with a variety of sports, including 
weight training, bicycling and swimming.  In the same way, there are 
different types of prayer and changing our prayers can have great 
impact.  I like to journal my prayers so that when I look back from 
time to time I can see God's answers.  There is great value in praying 
scripture-based prayers.  As I read my Bible, I take note of verses 
that apply to my life situations and prayers.  I enjoy great prayer 
time as I exercise daily.  It is important to remember that an 
important part of prayer is listening and waiting for God to respond.  
Prayer is communication with God, and often we need to take a break 
from our "wish lists" and listen to God's voice.



Strength in numbers

Identifying with a group makes running or other activity more exciting. 
Although running is an individual sport, it can be more fun when 
training with a friend.  Likewise, praying with others has great power. 
Jesus said, "If two of you agree on earth about anything you ask for, 
it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. For where two or three 
are gathered in My name, I am there among them" (Matt. 18:19-20).  
Recently, a young boy suffered severe brain damage during a bike 
accident.  Hundreds of people prayed for him daily and he had a 
complete recovery.  Amazing technology is available today with email, 
Facebook, Twitter, and iPhones.  Information travels instantly, and we 
can use social networking to heighten our awareness of others' needs 
and increase our prayer list.



Lifetime pursuit

There is a T-shirt for runners that says, "My sport is your sport's 
punishment." Running is not a fad; it is a discipline that can be 
pursued for a lifetime.  Prayer is also a life-long commitment.



Celebration

When I completed my first marathon, I stepped across the finish line 
and heard my name called over the loudspeaker while a volunteer placed 
a medal around my neck.  It is so rewarding to cross the finish line! 
After a race, runners get well-deserved rest, seek medical attention, 
and enjoy good food.  Sometimes they win rewards.  Prayer is a 
rewarding pursuit as well, as we see God answer our requests.  I am so 
grateful for the ways God has been faithful to me.  Sometimes God 
answers differently than we would like, but we know He works all things 
together for good.  Most important, when we pray, we grow closer to 
God, and He changes us to be like Him, so that when we finally meet 
Him, He can tell us, "Well done, good and faithful servant!" (Matt. 25:21 NIV).

And now you know as much about running and prayer as I do.  You might 
like to repost this article on prayer sites that I'm not a part of, of 
course with the leading of the Holy Spirit and permission of the moderators.

And that will do it for today.  Don't forget that tomorrow in this 
space will be the weekly Bible trivia game poem.  Until then may the 
God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob just keep us safe, individually and 
collectively, in these last days in which we live.  Your Christian 
friend and brother, Paul