In Colossians 4:2-4, Pauls encourages us to “continue steadfastly in prayer, being watchful in it with thanksgiving. At the same time, pray also for us, that God may open to us a door for the word, to declare the mystery of Christ.” From this passage, one can clearly see that it is God’s will that we pray to him in all situations.
Easier said than done, right? Praying is hard. Sometimes, the difficulty lies in finding the right words to fit the situation. Fortunately, Doug McKelvey has written a book to help us in this endeavor. Every Moment Holy is a book of liturgical prayers designed to train us to see God’s holiness throughout the day, even in life’s common and mundane instances. There is a prayer for just about anything you can think of, and my family has found joy in being able to open this book in certain situations. For example, there’s a prayer “For Students and Scholars” which we have used before a week of school, a prayer “For the Marking of Birthdays” that we used two nights ago, and a prayer “For the Loss of a Living Thing” that has been especially helpful for families that have lost pets. One of my favorites is the prayer “For the Ritual of Morning Coffee.”
Seeing and experiencing God in everything is important. Extracting the holiness of God out of something as simple as hearing a bird or making a bonfire or having an unexpected sighting of wildlife is essential in the Christian life. In Prayer: Experiencing Awe and Intimacy with God, Tim Keller says, “To pray is to accept that we are, and always will be, wholly dependent on God for everything.” McKelvey’s book is a tool that can help you and your family with this.
Grab a copy for yourself and one to give as a gift to someone else.
Dragon Creek 