Although I’d love nothing more than to have long uninterrupted prayer times each day, that rarely happens. Moms especially can hardly find the time to go to the bathroom alone, much less find the right time for prayer.
I used to feel so frustrated, guilty, and even angry about that. I wanted quiet time with God, but life always seemed to have other plans.
Some moms have solved this problem by getting up extra early and having Bible reading and prayer time before the family wakes up. I applaud them and I think that’s a beautiful idea. What a great way to begin each day. I, however, am not a morning person. Whenever, I read about the early morning people, I try to imagine myself doing the same thing and a voice in my head says, “Get real, Ann, you know that’s not going to happen.”
That voice is right.
Still, there are so many times in life when prayer is not just a good idea, it’s a necessity. As I get older, more and more of these times appear, friends are seriously ill, spouses die, and children go through tough times. During those times, when you feel helpless, prayer is the one perfect thing you CAN do.
Recently, one of our beloved ladies at allmomdoes.com had a very seriously ill parent. I wanted to hug her and hold her and support her, but she was thousands of miles away. All I could do was surround her in prayer. I wanted life to stop for a while so I could spend long times in fervent prayer, but of course it didn’t. Life is annoying that way.
So, I implemented what I call, “Popcorn Prayers”. Popcorn Prayers are the quick prayers you pray many, many times throughout the day.
Think about how popcorn pops. The kernels don’t all explode at once. Instead, they pop at different times. Each explosion contributes to the end result and before you know it, you have a big bowl of goodness.
I have used this form of prayer quite often ever since I became a mom. When something or someone weighs heavily on my heart, prayers tend to pop out of me all throughout the day (and night).
When someone tells me their problems, they stick to me like glue and every time I think of them another prayer pops out of me. I pray before I get out of bed, while I make breakfast, all through the day and often into the night. We here at allmomdoes.com laugh about the weird places we find ourselves praying. We may not have the benefit of long, quiet times, but we still pray and more often than not, they are popcorn prayers.
I used to hear women pray in group settings and they were so eloquent. Their prayers were long and beautiful. Listening to them, it was easy to feel “less than”. Public speaking has never been my strong suit and I have the same issue with public praying. My brain freezes and my tongue gets tied, and I feel like gibberish comes out.
Do my prayers matter less than the wonderful orators who can speak eloquently for hours? Does God ignore me because I don’t have that gift, or does He appreciate my little popcorn prayers equally?
I will always search for those uninterrupted times when I can dive deeply into prayer, but during the busy times I will continue popping up prayers and send them flying up to Him.
How about you? What’s your style of prayer?
“Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18
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Read more of Ann’s contributions to AllMomDoes here.
