...is it the sweet fragrance of Christian love?
...is it the joining of hearts, minds and hands upholding loved ones before the Throne of Grace?
...is it the soft whisper of the Holy Spirit's presence in the midst?
...is it the feel of salty tears mingling at His feet?
...is it the taste of joy deep in the hearts of those who feel unworthy to approach the Great Physician on the behalf of a loved sister?
... is it the sight of heads bowed and knees bent?
... or is it all of the above...
... and so much more that merge into a sweet, sweet hour of precious prayer.
I love gathering my family around me and praying with them. I have to say, it is comforting to hear someone else pray for you. I want my kids to know that the Lord is watching over them and that we pray for them.
ReplyDeleteThanks for your excellent comments. And I agree--"all of the above." There is something heart-warming about gathering with our spiritual family and being burden-bearers together.
ReplyDeleteWe are to "bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ" (Gal. 6:2)--which I think refers to His command to "love one another as I have loved you" (Jn. 13:34). We need to do that in practical ways, of course. But it begins by lifting them up before the throne of God in prayer.
If you enjoy reading about our hymns and their authors, I invite you to check out my daily blog on the subject. (On this date, in 1845, the prayer hymn "Sweet Hour of Prayer" was first published.)
And if you’ll excuse a brief “commercial”... With the arrival of fall, we begin to think of the Christmas season up ahead. If you do not have a good book on the subject of our Christmas carols, I encourage you to take a look at mine, Discovering the Songs of Christmas. In it, I discuss the history and meaning of 63 carols and Christmas hymns. The book is available through Amazon. (Might make a great gift too!)