I ask for His wisdom to look at the situations I am in with His eyes and to be able to walk with His Heart. This has made my reflections and prayers come more alive because my body walks from Station to Station and my focus becomes engaged in His, carrying our sins, our wounds, our pain to an ultimate redemption. I also rest in the Psalms , which seem to hold within them all the varied emotions I feel when going through difficult times.
I keep the structure of prayer and worship intact, which creates a backbone and consistent support to my day. Finally, I rely on Confession.
When I get grumpy and negative, I can confess this before God and publicly before a priest for forgiveness and strength to move on. During hard times, I bring my true emotions, the conversations I have with others, including their concerns, into my prayer.
I lay them at the feet of Jesus, to whom I have grown in trust and confidence. It is His wisdom and love that gives me confidence and hope, even when my emotions struggle. Other inspiring figures include:. Of course, Jesus is the ultimate inspiration. He was despised, rejected and, ultimately, crucified. He knew loneliness like nobody else ever has or will — and through His sacrifice, He banished it. You can escape those difficult feelings through drawing closer to Him. How often do you pray?
If you're like many Christians, prayer comes as an afterthought. Perhaps you sneak in a short prayer at the end of a long day or maybe you pray before digging into your favorite meal. What about when you face challenges in daily life?
The more you infuse prayer into your routine, the more connected you'll feel to your faith. Prayer can feel intimidating, but it doesn't have to be. Don't think of it as a grand oratory; eloquence isn't a necessity. When in doubt, refer to this inspiring Martin Luther quote: "The fewer the words, the better the prayer. Instead of striving to deliver a perfect, extended prayer on occasion, opt for incorporating short, simple prayers into key moments throughout each day.
There is no set number of prayers you need to strive for, but you should eventually feel as if prayer is a key part of your otherwise secular pursuits. It may take a few weeks or even months before prayer feels like a natural aspect of your routine, but your persistence will ultimately pay off.
If forgetfulness remains the primary obstacle between you and regular prayer, don't hesitate to use a prayer app or written reminders to keep you on track. How often do you discuss your faith with other Christians?
Even a brief interaction with a fellow believer can energize you and renew your commitment. With the changing of the calendar we take with us lessons from the past and a renewed spirit for the new year. For many years of my life, our family Christmases were in Jackson.
As a family we were together there at Christmas each year up until her death in This year we spent Christmas in Jackson in a different way, a much different way; it was at St. Dominic Hospital.
My dad, Hubert Strachan, suffered three strokes and was brought by ambulance to Jackson the week before Christmas. Six days later suffered a heart attack. He is now on a ventilator. My dad is a fighter; he survived being in the Army when he was deployed near the Russian border in protecting our freedom in the earlys, to a career serving Carroll and Montgomery counties as a lineman with Delta Electric.
He dealt with high-voltage electricity on a daily basis in a career that spanned almost 40 years. He survived a home invasion just earlier this year where he and Mama were beaten and robbed in the home they have shared since Prayer has been our strength through our lives as a family.
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