I’ve got a great new daily read for 2015.  It’s Everyday Prayers by Scotty Smith.  I know a Scotty well.  He’s Cellophane Glasses but that one is Scotty Meiser.  I don’t know Scotty Smith nor why he chooses to go by Scotty.

The book is a daily prayer to read.  Prayer is not one of my strengths so I like written prayers.  I like these prayers in this book.

Today’s prayer is “A Prayer About Burden-Bearing Love.”  It listed these painful situations.

…The woman who just got confirmation that the mass in her breast is malignant…

…The dad who just lost yet another job in the fragile economy…

…The couple whose two-year wait to welcome their adoptive child just ended childlessly…

…For the parents who’ve spent all and who are spent from trying to rescue their daughter from the ravages of an eating disorder…

…The friend who preaches a powerful gospel that bears fruit in everybody’s children but his own…

…The friends who are having to pay a great price for a misdiagnosed medical condition…

…The couples who are sleeping alone in the same bed…

That list causes me to feel pain.  One of those specifically hits me hard.  This morning I noticed how I didn’t want to feel such pain during my morning devotions.  I just wanted to get through and mark this item done.

Then the truth hit me.  I need to allow myself to feel this pain so I can pray better for my friends.  It is easier to numb myself, know their need, pray for their need, but stay numb as I continue on with my life.  And ironic truth:  to allow myself to feel their pain will actually help my distracted prayer life.

And this decision takes bravery.  I need to choose bravery even in my prayer life.  Especially because as I’ve preached often:  Prayer changes things.  Prayer changes things we can’t.

This is tough.  Numbed prayer is easier.

Choose bravery.