My friends call me a prayer warrior.  This may stem from my thinking of prayer as a way of life.  I do pray in my quiet time, and I also pray for needs of people when a situation makes my soul cry.  Often times, I pray while watching the news as different stories touch the raw places of my heart. I pray while doing dishes, driving, working, kayaking, cleaning, or doing just about anything. I’ve prayed in stores, while walking on my power walks, or while lap swimming.

So how did this praying way of life begin?  I remember teaching a Sunday school lesson to third graders about fifteen years ago.  The lesson highlighted the verse, “Pray without ceasing,” I Thess 5:17.   I found the verse captivating and life-changing.  The lesson plan suggested wearing a wrist band as a reminder.  Although it seemed corny back before the rubber wrist bands became popular, I decided to try it.

Wearing the wrist band changed my life.  I learned to pray arrow prayers all day.  In addition to my regular Bible study and prayer time, I began the lifelong voyage of praying as a way of life.  I prayed for parking spots at Costco, my friends, my relatives, finances, missionaries, for people to develop an addiction to God’s word, and for my health.  I prayed for needs of others that came up, and for the Lord to cleanse my heart.  The simplest way to say it is that I prayed for anything that came across my mind.

A few years later, I went to graduate school to get a better understanding of the Bible.  Later, I prayed to get into the counseling field because people have always trusted me with their problems.

To work my way through grad school, I cleaned houses.  While cleaning, I prayed according to the tasks I completed.  When I cleaned toilets, I asked the Lord to cleanse my heart.  I also asked him to cleanse us for our sins as a nation.  While vacuuming and noticing dirt and other debris, I asked God to reveal the parts of my life that needed change.  I also thanked the Lord for his grace, mercy, and for specific answers to prayer.  I sang worship songs.  I thanked God for his love, and I breathed out prayer.

Nowadays the Lord has blessed me with my own cleaning person and a private counseling practice.  I still pray as a way of life, and I am eternally grateful for how the Lord opened this window of prayer as a lifestyle.