PJ Mondays is marked on my calendar. It is a short form meaning Prayer with Josie. And for Josie, it means Prayer with Joy.
Josie has been my sister friend since we were 10. That is a very very long time. We met at Beausejour Elementary School in Grade 4. I remember when we met. She went to school with me until I believe Grade 8 when she then transitioned to MBCI. It was then in Grade 11 that Josie and I lived together in "the White House" as (then) Mennonite Brethren College called it. The White House was right next door to Redi-Mart (I think the Red Gym building is there now). It was 1974-1975 and I am often humbled to think that our parents trusted us that much to live on our own at the age of 16. Two country kids!
Anyhow, I digressed. I just wanted to say that Josie and I have been besties for a long long long time. Through thick and thin. Through weddings, birth of babies, deaths of my parents, moves (for them) from province to province, from country farming to city working. And the most amazing thing is - for us we don't have to be in one another's space all the time, and aren't. Life is just like that - and she has more kids than I do, so her life is fuller with family.
BUT the one thing we know is that - we will reach out to one another in good and bad. And I know that in my friend, and she knows that in me - we will pray for one another. We have one another's back and families in prayer. I can't say enough about that part of our relationship.
Almost two years ago, the year that we celebrated 50 years of friendship, Josie and I finished off our 2 night Friend Getaway by sitting in a little park in Carman. While the sun shone, and people worked around us - we sat there talking and then decided to finish our get away with a concentrated time of prayer. We prayed for one another, and then for our spouses, and then our children, and our grandchildren. I am not sure how long we prayed - but as the hour(s) passed, Jo and I stormed the throne room with our prayers. It was amazing and beautiful. Tears ran.
Last year, we did not go away for a friend getaway, but we spent the best part of a day in fall at Birds Hill Park. We made a fire, brought breakfast, thermoses of coffee, lawn chairs. We ate, laughed, talked and inhaled wood smoke lol . The day looked to be a wet one, but it did not rain, and in fact I believe the sun shone once in a while. While we were there, sitting by one another, we again stormed heaven on behalf of one another, our spouses, our kids and our grandkids. We praised God first of all for the prayers that had been answered on behalf of our kids. That was the beautiful part, and always is when we can look back and see the faithfulness of God!! Prayer moves the hand of God I believe and brings us into deeper relationship with the Father. SO. GOOD.
So after that time, and at the beginning of this year, we decided to pencil in PJ dates on our calendar - once a month. We say pencil because we know that they travel to see their kids often ... and that depending on life, it may not always be the third Monday of every month that we have a "PJ" happen. We just know that it will happen at the right time.
PJ. Prayer. I believe firmly in the power of prayer. Since my early 30's encounter with the Holy Spirit,I have prayed and prayed and prayed. Prayed over everything. Okay, sorry, no, not everything. I have not prayed for a parking stall close to store :(I have also had the privilege of being a part of a huge prayer line through our bestie Al Fast who is the hub of this line, sending out requests as they come. Sometimes that can feel overwhelming, but yet amazing to know that people are there to pray for you. I will say something here tho - I know that prayer lines can also just be righteous gossip lines and I encourage any of you, if you are part of a prayer line, or prayer team - PRAY. If you get a request - stop immediately and pray. Tell the person you prayed for them. One of the worst things for me is if I have said I would pray and then I forgot, which is why in the past year, I have prayed immediately if at all possible, yes, even with a facebook comment. BECAUSE our good prayer intentions can be just that ... and intention. So I encourage you to pray right then and there for someone vs saying "praying" or "I will pray".
Prayer is a big part of my life. Of the life of my family. Prayer on behalf of others. Prayer in person, or by email, or text or like this morning, we face-timed and prayed together. I believe there are times when we should kneel, or lay prostrate before Him. But I also believe we can pray anywhere, any time, and in any way. We can sing our prayers, write our prayers in our journal (whole other blog post) ... we can lay hands on people. We can weep through our prayers and we can also literally cry out to the LORD. Our eyes can be open or closed! I think the prayer rules that perhaps some of us grew up with, were just things we thought was good because of reverence to the MAKER ... and I am not saying they aren't good (kneeling by bed before bedtime for instance, or folding hands and bowing heads) ... But what I am saying is I believe God doesn't really care how we come before him, just that we COME. Like a child comes to their parent, crawls up on our knee, lays their head against our heart, and just talks. Just like that! That is how I believe my God wants me to come!!
This morning we came before Him. Josie and I. First one and then the other. In prayer for each other and our walk of faith. In prayer for our families. In prayer for our grandchildren. We prayed.
Coffee cup on one side. iPhone in our hands. Hearts and Heads and our voices tuned into Heavens throneroom, Prayer raising up - transcending time, and space. From our lips to the heart of the Father.
PJ Mondays happened today on a Thursday. And it was good. So good.
Who have you prayed with lately? Who have you prayed FOR lately?
During this time of world crisis with the COVID-19, we can still pray for one another.
If you are someone who would love prayer - I would love to pray with and for you.
Email me at joyandalvin@gmail.com and we will decide how that happens. And in the meantime keep brining your voice to the LORD, and know that those things that are too hard to speak of - the WORD says that the Holy Spirit speaks on your behalf.
I am also leaving you with a song from Rosemary which has blessed Alvin and I since we heard it at her concert last December. PATH OF PRAYER ... please listen - and even subscribe to her channel on Youtube. You won't be disappointed as her songs will calm your heart.
Praying together,
with love,
J
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