Unanswered Prayers...

While I'm usually fairly good about not questioning the why's of things, okay, who am I kidding, I'm really bad about it...but I'm trying to get better (still working on that whole contentment thing!) I AM good at knowing that in due time God's time, all the why's become more than clear! Even all those unanswered prayers...or what we maybe just thought were unanswered prayers!

Awhile back I did a Not Me Monday, one of my favorite blogs to do by the way, just in case you were wondering...you weren't, oh sorry, well now you know! Anyway, it was this about God answering a prayer that I've been praying for years, and me being in denial about Him answering it simply because it wasn't in the exact manner I had been requesting! Imagine that, that He would do things His way rather than mine! Well, shortly after that post it became very clear, that that specific prayer was to still remain unanswered!

Now at the time, I met this with great frustration, as I had no understanding why it was to be this way. I try most times really hard to let most things go, and know that it's allready laid out for me, and no amount of worry I do, will change the course of any of it. But being human, and created to a fault, I can't help but question it sometimes. And question it, I did! Have I recieved answers, not really. Am I okay with that? Right now, yes. I've realized that as hard as is to not have this prayer answered, maybe I don't really want it answered! Of course someone else allready knows that, and maybe that's why for years, this certain prayer has remained unanswered.

As I write this I truly have no idea why this prayer is to remain unanswered but I know that for today I'm gratefull it isn't. I also know that someday it will become very apparent why it was never to be answered, someday maybe a month from now, it maybe five or ten years from now, all I can do is be patient and wait! And being patient is something I'm so very good at (insert large amounts of sarcasm here!!!) One thing I'm sure of is that I'm thankfull for both answered and unanswered prayers...

When do you pray?

My husband has asked me on several occasions, "when do you pray?" My answer is always short and sweet, "everyday, all day!" You see, as a stay home mom of 4 children, and a home daycare owner with 3 children that I care for daily, I couldn't make it through each day without praying! My days start long before the sun even thinks about shining and end long after the moon has reclaimed it's spot in the night sky. So prayer is often what gives me the stamina to sustain my long days. Sadly, it's not often down on my knees praying that I know it should be, it's throwing out one or two line prayers to God every few hours...or sometimes every few minutes!

My first prayer of the day is usually as I'm rolling out of bed at 5:30 am, "please God, get me through this day!" The next is usually not too far behind when it's time to wake my kindergartner up, he's the one that on most mornings thinks the best way to start the day is with a little fit! He will whine and cry, telling me how boring school is, and how much he misses me, that's is so unfair he has to go, and on and on. I then find myself praying for God to give me patience with my son, as for some reason he fails to understand I still have about 40 more things to do before we leave the house! Throughout the course the my day my prayers continue for fairly common things, praying for discernment, more patience (that pretty much and all day prayer), energy, time management skills, for my family and things like that.

Lately though I have found that my recent daily prayer is for change. I've been asking God to change me, for I know He's the only one who can! To change me into the daughter He wants me to be too Him, to change me into the wife He wants me to be to my husband, into the mother He wants me to be, into the person He intends for me to be. This prayer is fairly new to me and I'm excited to see where it takes me, for I know with God in the lead, it will take me through some awesome changes!

So, yes, I really do pray all day, everyday! It's one of the things that sustain me and keeps me grounded...how about you, when do you pray?