Praying Up and Settling Down

I was reading my bible the other morning and I stumbled across something. There was a passage about the Israelites moaning and groaning and crying (about their circumstance)… but it didn’t say they were praying or crying out to God. I had to read it a couple times before it sank in – they weren’t crying out to God. But God heard their cries and was concerned about them. (Ex. 2:23-25)

I have whined and worried and admittedly, didn’t ask God for intervention right away. There have been times when I have prayed to God, once and even twice. And then I thought I better have enough faith to not pick up that worry again. But something tells me there’s a difference between knowing God will and assuming He will.

There’s worry.  Time spent with thoughts regarding an uncomfortable circumstance.  

There’s prayer. Picture the waves on a shoreline – washing in, washing out. Washing in again. And I wonder if our prayer life should be more like that. Staying in tune with God consistently, regardless of the circumstance. Or like breathing. You can’t continually breathe in without breathing out. Waves don’t come in without going back out. Prayer – state of praying up to God, and a state of settling down. Praying up. Settling down because you know He hears and is concerned.Praying up again. Settling down again.

There’s faith. Doesn’t mean not thinking about it anymore. But turning your eyes upon Jesus consistently. Time spent with thoughts regarding God’s great character and faithfulness. A litany of phrases that you breathe in… and a settling of the heart and mind that comes with breathing out.

Breathe in. Breathe out. Your God hears and is concerned over you.