I just found out that yesterday was my country’s National Day of Prayer. The occasion, once widely covered by the media, is now a side story at best. But no matter. For believers, every day is a day of prayer.
I often say, “I am a writer” because that is something I do with great passion. I’m less inclined to say, “I am a weed plucker” or “I am a shower taker” because, even though those are things I do, they are not what I’m about.
But even more than writing, even more than being a husband or a father, I am about following Jesus. God is not one of the things in my life, he is the thing. More accurately, he is the focus of my life. Everything I do—writing, filmmaking, husbanding, fathering—is about knowing him.
Hey, he started it.
Forty-two years ago, sensing that God might just exist and might just be pursuing me (he was), I began reading Scripture. My first big Aha was the verse, “This is eternal life, that they may know you, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom you have sent” (John 17:3). Forget being “religious,” Jesus was saying–as he summed up why he came–that life is about knowing God. (“Eternal life,” in the original Greek, means much more than mere “unending life,” it means something more like “true life,” life as it was created to be.)
And so I said my first halting prayer, something like, “OK, if you’re really there, I want to know you. In fact, I don’t want to go another day without knowing you. So here I am. I’m yours.”
God took me up on it. He honored that prayer, and he’s honored every prayer since. Not necessarily by doing what I say (he’s pretty insistent about being the one in charge), but by listening, and if I listen, by showing me what he wants me to do. Oh, yeah, and he loves the hell out of me. Literally.
I’m still not religious. Never was, never will be. But despite that, for me, every day is
A day of prayer.
Amen. A lot of this post I could have written.
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Reblogged this on Take Your Faith With You and commented:
Here is a great post on life with when your relationship with God is the center of everything. Peace.
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Amen! Well stated. Re-blogging
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Honored.
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So good, Mitch. Amen. God is so good!
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He is indeed, Bill.
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isn’t every day a day of prayer? 😉
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My point exactly.
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Love this Mitch! Sharing it with my son who is struggling a whole lot right now and could use some of that true life.
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I am praying for you and your son Kara. I’ve been praying through Colossians for various people and it BLOWS me away for amazing God is. “Father, we ask that he would be filled with the knowledge of your will in all wisdom and spiritual understanding. May he walk worthy of Jesus, fully pleasing Him, being fruitful in every good work, and increasing in the knowledge of God.” Wow! and that’s just chapter 1 vs 9 & 10. Be of good courage sister.
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Just saw your comment. Thank you for the prayer and the encouragement!! Love the verses too. Will be praying those over him. Thank you again. ♥️
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Hi Mitch,
Thank you for sharing your testimony. I love being in a relationship with God more than being religious. That means life is happening. The Lord and you keep doing what you do.
In Christ,
Gary
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I love the distinction you made between what we do and what we are about. Loving Jesus through and in prayer is a lifelong pursuit well WORTH being about! Thank you Mitch
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Amen, Hannah.
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Reblogged this on Let the Spirit In and commented:
Do you remember God first reaching out to you?
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Honored, Mary.
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What a wonderfully expressed testimony, Mitch! Love this! And yes, every day is a day of prayer! 🙂
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Amen!
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Nicely said. 👍👊💥
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Excellent testimony and reminder! That is one of my favorite verses also.
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My parents aren’t believers. In fact I’m the only one on my side of the family who is. I once had a phone conversation with my parents in which they asked me a lot of questions about what I believe. (A lot of stereo typical understandings of what it is to be a Christian came up, so I told them what’s really what…) When it came to the subject of religion I told them I wasn’t religious. I don’t think they quite understood how that could be, but at the end of our conversation my dad said, “It sounds like you found a good church.” I have no idea how I responded to that or even if I did respond to it! I was actually stunned my parents had even aporached the whole subject with me since they are very anti-religion. I confused them by saying I wasn’t religious. 🙂
I really enjoyed reading what you wrote here. Everytime someone brings up religion I think of James 1:27 “Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world.”
I don’t think of myself as religious either. I never was religious myself. I just enjoy knowing God, and learning from Him. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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And thanks for your bit of testimony here, as well, Tina!
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Always enjoy your writing, Mitch. Keep it up. And glad to hear a bit of your testimony. God IS good! In fact, He’s so good to each of us, that we can not comprehend it. But every once in a while we begin to understand a bit here and a bit there. 😉
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PS. I’ve tried numerous times to “like” a blog post you’ve written, but WP won’t let me. – Like today, I can comment, but can’t get the like button to work. Sorry.
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Hmm, I have no idea what that would be. But I’m glad you’ve stuck around anyway, Twink! (Sorry, I don’t know your actual name.)
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I love hearing your story, Mitch! You’ve written about it several times, but I come away with a new appreciation of our God every time I read it. Yes, every day is a day of prayer for the believer. For leaders of nations to set aside a day is significant and important as well. We much need a day of prayer for our country and God’s guidance of our leaders.
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I agree, Papa.
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Heart to heart talk – well understood by those who walk and talk in and to Him. Stated so well, Mitch. Great testimony.
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Thank you, Oneta.
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Love this!
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Spiritual, that’s what you are. : )
Thank you for sharing it.
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Do I detect a Natalie Cole paraphrase? ;>) Thanks, Sarah.
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I am a fan : )
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This was a mighty presentation of truth about God and His desire for us. Thanks! My wife filled me in on the National Day of Prayer because she often watches the local Christian TV station a little. Otherwise I would not have realized it either. But as you say, no matter. We are really called to bring everything before Him, every thought, every action. What a challenging calling, with commensurate reward (Him).
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Amen, Jon!
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I am so thankful for our all-wise, perfectly loving God who plans the chapters of our lives (Psalm 139:16) And when we do what God wants us to do, we discover true fulfillment and satisfaction. In fact, his goodness is so vast he has to store it up (Psalm 31:19)!! Thank you, Mitch, for reminding us how far superior life is WITH God than without.
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And thank you for your ongoing life testimony to the same, Nancy.
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Nancy can you read psalm 114:41 & psalm 56:44
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Prayer is a conversation with God. I agree, it is not once a year, it is something I do everyday.
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Well said, every day is a day of prayer. People ask me if I am religious and I tell them, “No, I am a Christian.” Thanks for the post.
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Amen! “Life as it was meant to be “! Some people think I’m crazy for telling them that this isn’t real life. Oh sure, it’s real as far as science knows but it’s not what’s meant to be.
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True indeed, Lloyd.
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Beautifully said!
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Thank you, Ann.
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I just found you! Very nicely written! Thank you!
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Awesome word Mitch! Right to the point!
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What a great testimony. I wanted to know God as a child, so I tried being religious. He was gracious to me and later showed me that He didn’t want me to be religious, he wanted a relationship. What a difference!
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Indeed, an eternal difference.
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So encouraging, Jesus as the anchor of life! although my little faith falter very easily!
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Faith grows, just as our minds and bodies do. Wishing your faith great maturity in the coming days and years, my friend.
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thank you for your kind wish! I really appreciate it.
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Amen!!
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Getting to know Jesus increases hunger to know him more and more each day you read about him through the bible. By knowing him, makes it hard to contain inwardly quiet inside within yourself. Through prayer, we express that we believe in him and we wanted to become more intimate with him. Prayer is a powerful tool.
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It is indeed.
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hope u’ll follow and support me too
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seems interesting
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Beautiful. I just wanted to say I have really enjoyed your blog. I found many profound reminders and revelations in just the few posts I read today.
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So glad to hear that, Kat, and to hear from you again. Blessings.
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