The Last Day…

Well, this is it. The end of my not-so-little experiment with adventures in prayer. It has been life-changing for me, really. Because while I have always maintained a "prayer list" of sorts to enrich my own spiritual journey, I haven't often taken it past the general God blesses, or prayers of agreement when people ask me to pray for them. And I have always been as surprised and amazed as everyone else when answers seemed to come from "out

of the blue."

But now I have found prayer to be a road which can be ventured out on much the same way as any other road, and with much the same results. Destinations are important (unless you have endless time to wander and are entertained by that sort of thing), there are hazards along the way, and sometimes even traffic jams. But the scenery can be spectacular. And -- as with other types of travel -- the trip is much more enjoyable if you share it with someone.

I have come away with some fantastic prayer partners, and feel incredibly blessed for having met these people. Besides the fact that results seem to come faster when more than one person is praying, there is that wonderful -- almost unbelievable -- scripture that states; "…if two of you shall agree on earth as touching any thing that they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven." (Mat. 18:19). Quite the guarantee. I admit I've put that one to the test over and over, and so far, have been unable to prove it wrong. Which says a lot for this day and age. So I would highly recommend people try that one out for themselves.

Taking time each day for the past two weeks to purposely venture out onto the "prayer road" to specific places has strengthened my vision to be able to see more than just what's in front of me at the moment. It has made me more aware of who I am and how much more I am capable of doing. I had no idea. And it has made me witness to the kinds of things that produce a sort of joy and sense of well-being that you can't buy even if you are a billionaire.

So, would I ever do something like this, again? Would I set foot on that road even if I wasn't making a public confession, here? What -- are you kidding? At this point my plans are never to get off it. Life is beautiful here, and the more you share it, the better it gets. Which brings me to the door-prize (I said, yesterday, there might be one). For some reason, God is answering all the prayers I have prayed this week in amazing miraculous ways. So, if you have any requests, let me know so I can pray for you, too. I want you to get in on this. I will take your special request "on the road" personally. Then stand back and watch, because you will hear from heaven. Oh, yes, and don't forget to let me know how things turn out so we can share the joy.

Now for the refreshments (I promised some of those, yesterday, too). So here they are… "The Lord bless you and keep you, may He make his face shine upon you, and be very good to you. May He turn His eyes to you, right now, and give you a peace and refreshment to your soul that you can feel this very moment." (Numbers 6:24-26… Lilly's paraphrased version)

Thank you for traveling a little way with me.

The Thirteenth Day...

Nearly to the end of my two week experiment with adventures in prayer, where I promised to report all that was happening, and so I will. A scientist makes detailed notations even of mistakes in order to be more exact with proven outcomes. I think the same accuracy is required here. Thus, I must now touch on a subject that might be objectionable to some. So, if you are of the more genteel sort (whom I dearly love -- we need all personality types in this world) you may want to skip this post and come back on another day.

The American Heritage dictionary defines adventure as: "An undertaking or enterprise of a hazardous nature" or "An undertaking of a questionable nature, especially one involving intervention in another's state of affairs." Which I also consider to be an accurate description when one sets out to discover adventures in prayer.

As mentioned before, one first finds themself on a particular "road" that is happily, and unhappily, populated with other travelers who are generally out for the same purpose. And while this road is not subject to time or place (in that it is instantly accessible from anywhere or any hour), it is a real road. More real, possibly, than all those others we travel on every day. I have pointed out that there are wonderful frequent travelers here who can be of great help to new or despondent ones, and the more often you travel there, the quicker you will get at recognizing them.

But there are other sorts here, too.

These are not so nice. They are enemies of your soul, really, determined to distract or waylay you from your true purpose here. They are not all monsters. No, if they were, there would be no problem identifying and avoiding them. Many are sweet and beguiling... offering pass times that are always quite acceptable and innocent on the surface of things.

But they are wicked underneath. And capable of such excellent disguise that they can often be hiding beneath the surface of your very own self. Those are the most dangerous kind. The ones who can convince you that there is something incredibly wrong (or unfixable) about you, yourself. Which automatically kicks you into survival mode, and you all but forget why you even came there.

That's why it is of the utmost importance that you make as sure of your travel arrangements for coming here as you would on any other vacation. You wouldn't head out without knowing your destination, would you? No, too many places to get lost in. Would you start without money, or other adequate provision? I should say not. And you would -- above all else -- steer clear of any known war zones where a person might become a casualty just by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. These rules are just plain common sense. Still, it is amazing how many travelers pay no attention at all to them.

The most shocking discovery I have made during these spiritual traveling experiments is that this road is the most dangerous there is in all the world. But it is also the most exciting, the most modern, and the straightest path to any given destination on earth. It is not for the faint of heart, though. And it is not a good idea to go there naked (you'd be surprised how many think that's the very thing to do). Even though there are many good travel advisories posted all around if you look for them. The best is found in Ephesians 6. The whole chapter.

However, if you are the type that doesn't like wearing that sort of stuff, or discover you really have no desire to travel in areas of this kind in the first place, you really shouldn't worry about it. Just be careful to stay closer to home, maintain all your support systems, and not wander off alone by yourself. Because we are living in dangerous times, here, and need to be watching each other's backs.

Which is all I'm going to say about the subject, right now.

Tomorrow is my last public day for this experiment, and I intend to sum everything up and tell all. There might even be a door prize. At any rate, there will be refreshments. But now I'm off to do some work before this day is entirely gone...

Close Encounters…

And so I am on DAY SIX of my experiment in "adventuring in prayer" and have come upon some very interesting experiences along this amazing road. The first being… I am not alone here! There are others on this road for various purposes, and most of them I have met are amazing people.

The first thing is, that you know them instantly. Maybe it is a recognition thing. Some spiritual sensitivity that sends a direct signal between your heart and theirs that tells you they, too, are prayer adventurers. Some are just starting out for their own reasons, and some of them are full-fledged "prayer warriors" with lots of experience. I find these people refreshing just to stand next to. When they start popping into your life in unusual circumstances, with increasing regularity… well, then you know for certain that the Lord is truly, "ordering your steps." (Psalm 37:23) A thrill all by itself.

The other people on this road are those that simply pop into your mind at the oddest times. Maybe you know them, and maybe you don't. Maybe they're someone you haven't seen in years, but suddenly, you are thinking about them. I find that is my cue to pray for them. So I do. I have made a mental list of these people I have been impressed to pray for. I feel a connection with them, somehow, so I maintain my prayers until -- for whatever reason -- they no longer need to be there.

Yes, I see it as a road, and being on this road has added an interesting new dimension to my life. You can get onto it from anywhere at any time, because time and distance are not applicable here. That makes three dimensions, now, I have encountered in the human experience.

Makes one wonder if there is a fourth.

This is DAY SIX.

A Daring Idea…

And so we come to one of my favorite subjects of all: adventures in prayer. I've had a few. And like any form of adventuring, once you have had an experience (any experience at all), you mysteriously want to try it, again. The difference between being a mental traveler and a spiritual one, is that you are "stepping out into the world" as opposed to taking it in.

I've been told it is quite possible to have an impact on people and situations around the globe simply by praying for them. But what if… it REALLY is? Well, if that was true, then I think my prayer list would have very different things listed on it. Don't you suppose if a "prayer warrior" was really a warrior, he or she would go about vanquishing enemies and setting prisoners free, instead of letting things go with only a couple of "God blesses?" Hmmm...

Perhaps I will make an experiment of the next two weeks, and record my results right here. I shall picture myself some modern-day Joan of Arc and set off to fight some battles. And if I get "backup from heaven" I'll let you know. Meanwhile, if anyone has anything specific they would like me to add to my list, let me hear about it.

Or, better yet, why don't you join me?

Two weeks. For heaven sake,we can almost hold our breath for that long. And what could it hurt? Things certainly couldn't be any worse for it than they are today. In fact, it just might be the most exciting adventure we've ever been on. Like I say, I'll let you know how it goes.

This will be DAY ONE…