Years ago, I read one godly man's explanation of the Bible's command to "Pray without ceasing" that was life-changing for me. He said that we should think of it as being on the phone with God, and never hanging up the phone. We should stay on the line with Him continually, keeping the lines of communication open at all times. And we should be talking to Him, and listening to Him, every moment of every day. As I began conversing with the Lord about even the little matters in my daily life, I began to witness His involvement in even the "small stuff," and I knew that my life would never be the same.

Scripture says: "Don't worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done. If you do this, you will experience God's peace, which is far more wonderful than the human mind can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus." (Philippians 4:6-7 NLT) I have learned the hard way that whatever I don't pray about, I'm going to worry about. For instance, when I'm expecting a phone call, and I need to take a shower, instead of fretting about the possibility of that call coming at the wrong time, I ask the Lord to make sure that the phone doesn't ring when I can't get to it. And I'm always amazed at how many times God answers that simple prayer. When I need to make an appointment of some sort, I ask the Lord to help me get one that won't interfere with anything else that might be going on in my life that day. Before I even pick up the phone, I'll say, "Lord, I commit this call to You, and I ask You to give me the right person to speak to. Give me favor in their sight, and cause them to give me the best possible appointment." I can't see into the future, but God can. He knows if there will be a day or two when I'll be without a car, or I'll have a sick pet to care for, or I won't be feeling well myself.

There have been times when I've been running late for an appointment, especially a doctor's appointment, and I've become so frantic that I could be dangerous behind the wheel of a car. I finally learned to turn to the Lord and say, "Please forgive me for not using my time more wisely, Lord. If I'm late, please make my tardiness work out for my good, and for the good of my doctor and his staff. Cause my lateness to be a blessing to others, and not a burden, Lord." This reduces the feeling of panic that could lead to a car accident, or other calamity.

Both of my married children live in apartments, so they sometimes have merchandise delivered to my home. This is in addition to the deliveries that my husband and I receive here. Sometimes the deliveries require a signature, but even if they don't, I have a tendency to worry about when they'll actually arrive, especially if the weather is bad. I've learned how to get God involved in these matters. I'll often pray, "Lord, please make these deliveries come at the best possible time for me, so that I can be available when they arrive." Recently, I was especially thankful that I prayed like this when I was expecting a shipment of my books. As it turned out, they came on a stormy day, and the delivery man left them out in the rain. God saw to it that my husband, Joe, arrived home early from work that day, and that he would take notice of the packages on our front porch, and bring them in the house before they were ruined.

The Bible says: "The steps of the godly are directed by the Lord. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will not fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand." (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT) If you are not inviting God into the little details of your life, you are robbing Him of a lot of the joy that He deserves. Not only that, but you are putting yourself at risk, making yourself more vulnerable to the pitfalls of daily living. Christ died so that we could have an intimate, interactive relationship with Him and our Heavenly Father. My prayer for you today is that you'll begin inviting the Lord into every aspect of your life--and that you'll come to know Him and His love for you, like you never have before!

Prayer: Lord, teach me how to "pray without ceasing," and to "stay on the line" with You at all times. Remind me often that You want to be involved in every aspect of my day, and that it grieves Your heart when I "hang up the phone." Thank You that as I keep in touch with You, I'll experience Your presence, power, provision and protection in new and exciting ways!