I’ve been working through Priscilla Shirer’s 2013 Gideon Bible study. In the Bible we often hear about the people of Israel worshiping at the altars of Baal. Listen for a moment about what she says about Baalism:

“Baalism sounds like such an ancient and distant religion that we tend to think our modern society has no trace of it. But consider the many things we don’t take to God in prayer because we’ve grown accustomed to the usual processes we experience daily. This reveals the crafty spirit of Baalism running rampant in our modern culture, cloaked in the guise of humanism. Even God’s people have been duped into believing that either He will not really do anything on our behalf or that He doesn’t need to because certain things just happen anyway. So we pray less and less about the details of our lives.”

Ouch!

This last statement really hit home for me! Did it do anything for you? I realized that although I may have been on medication these past few weeks after sinus surgery (and not feeling much spiritually, I might add), I wasn’t truly giving everything to God. There is a lot I pray to God about, but there is so much I hold onto without even blinking. It seems so normal to me.

But, do I want to live my life in such a way that is simply normal? God never called me to be normal. He made me to be extraordinary! I must be that extraordinary. God, forgive me of my pride in thinking I can do life, the normal things, on my own. I apparently forgot I am but dust and will once again return to dust. Lord Jesus, please, today, fill me with Your Holy Spirit. Live through me so others may see You. I want every ounce of me to scream Your presence in my life, even when I’m simply folding socks. May the socks cry out that You are the owner of my life!

In order to give you my “everyday” life requires I pray about my spouse, my children, the meal planning, the finances, the house cleaning, the soccer games, the band, the homework, the writing, the laundry, the ironing, our health, the doctor’s appointments, the future, my priorities, the TV shows, the movies, the car pooling… This list confirms to me of my constant need of prayer. How could I ever feel I could live without prayer in my life? Lord, my prayer with you is my conversation with You. Your conversations with me are like the sweet dew You so graciously give every morning. I want that dew every morning upon my life for my entire life.

© 2013 Susan M. Sims

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