I’ve been labeled

It’s the truth. I have been labeled the woman who prays. And I do, pray that is. A lot. But I didn’t realize others noticed much and found it interesting that this became my “label” because in my past, I had other not so great labels attached to me. I didn’t grow up having a relationship with God and I didn’t even make that decision until I was 34 yrs old. I never went to Bible school, I used to laugh at Christians – I thought they were just weird people who were always smiling and going to church, I used to get myself in all sorts of trouble, I was in a failing marriage. I was in a failing marriage with a man I still deeply loved. So, one day out of desperation, I got on my knees (literally) and I started talking to God. I did believe He existed somewhere out there. And I told Him how much I loved my husband and how I wanted Him to fix my marriage. I guess I prayed. I prayed and God answered and I haven’t stopped praying since. About 6 months after that first prayer, I became a Christian. Kind of ironic, since I used to laugh at them. But, I realized God does listen and hear us. I bought books on prayer and one was by a woman named, Stormie Omartian. In The Power of a Praying Woman she writes “We’ve all had times when we felt completely powerless in the face of our circumstances. We’ve proven to ourselves over and over that we don’t have what it takes to attain any kind of permanent transformation in our lives. We know without a doubt that our best efforts to change ourselves or our circumstances in ways that are significant or lasting never work. We recognize our need for a power outside of and far greater than ourselves. But there is only one power in the world great enough to help us rise above ourselves and the difficult things we face. That is the power of God.” I read her words and I was hooked. There was sooooo much about myself that needed to change. And like Stormie said, we can’t change ourselves. I learned that truth the hard way. And so I prayed.

Do all of my prayers get answered? No. And I actually have a few that I am thankful God didn’t answer the way I wanted Him to years ago. But prayer has brought me closer to God because I’m talking with Him and waiting and listening for Him. It’s like with anyone in life – when we spend time with people, when we share our heart with them, when we listen and hear their heart on matters, when we cry with them and when we laugh with them, bonds are formed and we become close friends. God has become my Friend. And I have become a praying woman, a label I’m happy to have.