Keep Watching and Praying

Last night I went to bed around my normal time but could not fall asleep. That usually means one of two things...I had coffee sometime during the day, or the Lord is keeping me awake. Since I did not have any coffee yesterday, I knew God was saying, "You missed your quiet time with me today."

For some reason, even though I've been through conversations like this before, I began to make excuses instead of responding immediately to His prompting. "But I had a long day, I have a cold, I have a busy day tomorrow...what I really need is sleep right now."

He didn't budge. I couldn't fall asleep. So I got up and peeked into the room where Alex was writing to a Threads of Hope customer on the computer. He said "Maybe you should read." Even ALEX was prompting me!

So I decided, "I'm too tired to concentrate on reading, I'll just do my prayer time." I began with the categories I have written down for Mondays...then I did the prayers I use from "Power of a Praying Woman, Wife and Parent" books. I now had more energy and was more alert than before! So I opened up the Bible and checked the portion I was to be reading for March 9 in my daily reading. I was in Numbers, Mark, Psalms and Proverbs. Look at this verse from my reading in Mark: Mark 14:38 "Keep watching and praying, that you may not come into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak." GOD KNOWS ME. And He loves me! I immediately (if you are reading through Mark, you know he uses "immediately" a lot!) praised the Lord for keeping me up so that He may use my time with Him to strengthen and protect me.

This morning I woke up BEFORE my alarm, ready to go meet a couple girls I exercise with. On Tuesdays and Thursdays we decided to help each other with memorizing verses while we walk. Know what my verse has been? I Peter 5:10 "And after you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you."

All praise and glory to God!