There’s a lady at our church who has a voice as soft and soothing as flannel. She prays so regularly, she seems radiant from God’s glory. In fact, I feel from her an almost palpable peace flowing from the Holy Spirit with whom she interacts so faithfully and intimately.Just being around her makes me want to pray more. Some days I am so moved by her humble spirit and Christ-glorifying speech, I want to cry.We could be talking about something as earthly as the soup she brought to a pitch-in, and by the time we say our good-byes, I’m itching to log some hours on my knees.When I saw her this past Sunday, that resolve stirred once again:Lord, I want to pray like her. I want to be faithful. Please help this scattered, random, easily distracted daughter of yours interact with you more and more, without ceasing.The next day I was flipping through a book that I was thinking of selling. Before listing it, I found this passage:
During one interview, the children talked about their mother’s devotional time and how much she prayed and studied the Word. The mother was a little surprised that they knew about her prayer time. She had never talked about it much, and she thought they had always been asleep when she had her quiet time.”How did you know about the time I spent praying and studying?””We saw your knee prints in the carpet by the big chair in your bedroom. We saw your Bible open there on the table, and it was worn from use.” (Faulkner 79)
I thought of my friend from church and knew that if I was given access to her home, I would eventually find those knee prints somewhere—in a small closet, next to her bed, near a special chair…maybe everywhere.
This speaks to my heart, Ann. Thank you for sharing it.
Oh, Ann! You inspire me… and so does your unnamed friend. It’s as if you read my heart… knew my struggle.
Consistency seems an elusive thing for me at times, but I resolve to keep aiming for that perfect mark.
Thank you.
This was just what I needed to ‘hear’! I’ve written a short post linking folks here – and to another prayer-focused post I read earlier today.
Thank you!
What a touching post. I hope my kids will someday remember my knee prints. That means I need to pray more.
Thank you for the inspiration,
Janis
For several years, I led a Bible study in our community. Sadly, one of the women dropped out mid-way through the study because she felt it was taking away from time with her kids. And while I respected her decision to leave the study, I thought how it’s never a waste of time to study His Word, and have your kids see you doing it.
Great post, Ann.
Beautiful…
This is beautiful, Ann. That’s my prayer, too.
But my kids will never find knee prints in my bedroom. First of all, we have hard-wood floors. Secondly I don’t pray on my knees. Never have…except when I was young and a practicing Catholic, and then I prayed on my knees in church. Or at least daydreamed on my knees.
But I think my kids do know that I pray…or at least try to pray. And I pray with them. So that’s something. But I have a long way to go!
This one really made me tear up. I have known 4 such special women in my life. I have always felt a little overcome by the love they carry because they have traded God everything else they carried for it. Such an amazing legacy! ~Jessica