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“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus” (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).

While we want to be people of prayer, many of us find it difficult to keep our oft-repeated promise: “I’ll be praying for you.” The more disciplined among us maintain a prayer list or notebook and faithfully record both requests and answers. Unfortunately, the practice of prayer is one that frequently slips through the cracks of our busy lives.

Recently a friend wrote that every time she breaks an egg into a frying pan, she recalls a bit of egg-cooking advice I gave her over 50 years ago…and she prays for me! That simple prayer reminder spurred me to creative thinking about my own prayer life. While I take time daily to be quiet with God, pray for friends and family and urgent needs that have come to my attention, perhaps it is also time to use my friend’s “egg method.”

When I fold clothes fresh from the dryer, I often think about my elderly friend, June, who meticulously folded every item of clothing and linen when we stayed in her home. Ah, a perfect time to bring her now frail body before the Great Physician. Many years ago another friend gave me a time saving hint about ironing shirts—now I pray for this friend as my iron glides over my husband’s shirts. The newspaper becomes another prayer journal. As I read of rebel attacks, over-populated refugee camps, natural disasters in far off countries, I bring these people to the only true peacemaker.

I am making it a habit to slowly and carefully look at the pictures of a woman living under a ragged canvas tarp or a child listlessly leaning on his mother’s shoulder. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, wrote these words inside the cover of his Bible: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

Whether everyday acts that remind us of friends, or news reports of needs far too vast for me to imagine their solutions, God has called me to be a person of prayer.

Jesus, I imagine You not only getting away to mountainsides for private conversations with the God of the universe, but also maintaining a daily “prayer” dialogue with the One you loved. Help me do the same.

Questions: What “prayer prompts” do you use?  How do these help you stay in relationship with God?

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

Heart transplants are extremely rare. They take hours of planning, sterile technique, and incredible expertise. Although I’m a nurse I’ve never seen even one patient have their heart removed surgically and replaced. But I’ve seen lots of heart transplants occur in places other than hospital operating rooms. I participated when Pat, Joe, Arlene, Les, Sue, Sandy, Lois and many others had heart transplants. In malls and parks and filthy rooms I’ve prayed and watched as dead, stony hearts were removed and healthy hearts were implanted. Not by the surgeons at Mayo Clinic but by The Great Physician. God promises, “…I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; and I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26). Those who let Jesus operate on their broken, wounded hearts are made whole. One touch from Him and sin diseased hearts are purified. Incredible!

But a pure heart alone isn’t enough to produce spiritual life. Something else is needed. God says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood…” (Leviticus 17:11). Adam and Eve were created with pure hearts. These first Eden creatures were created from dirt and God’s breath. Genesis 2:7 Then sin overtook them. Their human DNA failed and they fell, breath of God or not. Dirt and breath don’t create pure hearts.

Animal blood was shed as propitiation for Adam and Eve’s sin. God clothed them with skin and they were sent from the garden. They began man’s wounded walk through life. Centuries later, still wounded and infected with sin, believing mankind falls at the foot of Christ’s cross, seeking forgiveness and healing. There from the riven side of our pierced Savior pure blood and water flowed down, cleansing our wounds. Kneeling supplicants, transfused in this manner, are healed. We are now blood brothers with Christ! Sin diseased DNA is replaced with the perfect DNA of the Savior’s blood. The water of life pours over us, scrubbing us clean from sin “…by the washing of water with the word” (Ephesians 5:26).  “And from our inner being rivers of living water begin to flow” (John 7:38).

Science states man consists of the chemical components of dirt, water (seventy to seventy-five percent), blood, and breath. As sinful men, when we trust Christ we’re cleansed from our filthiness. Our imperfect, failing DNA is purified by transfusion with the blood of Christ, the pure Lamb of God, slain for the sins of the world. We rise from beneath the Cross, complete in Christ – blood, water, breath, dirt. We’re not perfect until we get to Heaven, but we are holy because of His sin free DNA and the righteousness He imputes to all who obey Him. Through the blood of Christ we have found a pure heart at last.

Thank you, Lamb of God, for being my sin atonement and creating a place and a portion for me among those who are consecrated and purified by faith. Help me keep my heart pure before you. Amen.

Questions: How do we keep our heart pure before God? How does one get a new heart that is no longer infected with sin?

About the Author Petey Prater

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, Jesus, From Everlasting to Everlasting, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog

Join us for our Daily Devotional Chat today in our Women’s Chatroom at 10:30 am EDT.

“Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus”  (1 Thessalonians 5:16-17).

While we want to be people of prayer, many of us find it difficult to keep our oft-repeated promise: “I’ll be praying for you.” The more disciplined among us maintain a prayer list or notebook and faithfully record both requests and answers. Unfortunately, the practice of prayer is one that frequently slips through the cracks of our busy lives.

Recently a friend wrote that every time she breaks an egg into a frying pan, she recalls a bit of egg-cooking advice I gave her over 50 years ago…and she prays for me! That simple prayer reminder spurred me to creative thinking about my own prayer life. While I take time daily to be quiet with God, pray for friends and family and urgent needs that have come to my attention, perhaps it is also time to use my friend’s “egg method.”

When I fold clothes fresh from the dryer, I often think about my elderly friend, June, who meticulously folded every item of clothing and linen when we stayed in her home. Ah, a perfect time to bring her now frail body before the Great Physician. Many years ago another friend gave me a timesaving hint about ironing shirts—now I pray for this friend as my iron glides over my husband’s shirts. The newspaper becomes another prayer journal. As I read of rebel attacks, over-populated refugee camps, natural disasters in far off countries, I bring these people to the only true peacemaker.

I am making it a habit to slowly and carefully look at the pictures of a woman living under a ragged canvas tarp or a child listlessly leaning on his mother’s shoulder. Bob Pierce, the founder of World Vision, wrote these words inside the cover of his Bible: “Let my heart be broken by the things that break the heart of God.”

Whether everyday acts that remind us of friends, or news reports of needs far too vast for me to imagine their solutions, God has called me to be a person of prayer.

Jesus, I imagine You not only getting away to mountainsides for private conversations with the God of the universe, but also maintaining a daily “prayer” dialogue with the One you loved. Help me do the same.

Questions: What “prayer prompts” do you use?  How do these help you stay in relationship with God?

About the Author Marilyn Ehle

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, What Will I Be Remembered For?, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog