If it’s Wednesday at 7:00 pm, you can usually find me stepping into the prayer room at BLC. Our prayer group has been meeting every Wednesday for over 10 years now.

What do we pray about? We pray for our church and the people in it. For the world and the people in it. For those coming into this world and for those who are departing from it. For the sick and those who take care of the sick. For travelers and shut-ins. For leaders and followers. For the spread of the Gospel. For an end to despair. For those without jobs and those stressed out from too much work. For the poor and the rich. For peace and for those at war. For rain when it’s dry. For sun when it’s wet. For anything. For everything.

Have any of our prayers been answered over the years? Lots, and we thank God for those answered prayers.

Have any of our prayers not been answered? Lots of those, too. We’ve been praying for years for a cure for cancer. I don’t see one yet.

Why do we keep praying? For me, it’s simple. I pray to take a step away from myself. To take a step alongside other people and toward God. I pray to remind myself that I’m not in control of the universe. I’m not even in control of my little corner of the universe. I pray because on Wednesday nights I always leave church lighter than when I went in. Prayer just might be the ultimate diet. The more you indulge, the less you weigh.

Why not just for today take a step away from your problems and give them over to the One who listens? Jesus said, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” Mathew 11:28

Day 40: 6,265 Steps   YTD: 360,530 Steps   Goal: 374,000 Steps