As I have been doing some yard work with mowing, trimming, pruning and spraying, I was just thinking about how springtime is a time of preparation. And with my somewhat weird sense of humor and varying perspectives, now is a good time for some Spring Praying. Here are some things to keep in mind:
• Pray Expecting — While some people don’t particularly like spring yard work, it is done with goals in mind. Most expect to see plush green grass, flowering trees and nice landscaping. The goal is to prepare by getting things in place so that what is expected comes to fruition. Of course, we must admit that to many, the goal is just to keep up with the neighbors. I must admit that I am behind this year on my yard work. I can blame it on the weather — snow, ice and, most recently, flooding rains. But then again, I have gotten somewhat lazy, and my “want to” did not match my “need to.” I had to get back into the habit, and guess what? I am enjoying doing what I need to do.
Our Lord gave us His example for getting into the habit of praying. Of course, He didn’t wait until spring to put His praying to work. It was His habit to pray. “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed” (Luke 5:16 NIV1984). When we make prayer something we do often, which we should do so daily, we find a “springtime rejuvenation.” That is what we should expect. To pray expecting is to pray with confidence. “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, he hears us” (1 John 5:14).
• Pray Purposefully — I am reminded of a Dottie Rambo song that gives us one of the most important purposes of prayer. A portion of the lyrics are, “I didn’t come here to ask you for anything, I just came to talk with you, Lord.” Like putting off spring spraying, putting off spring praying can be detrimental. But it needs to be maintained. It does no good to mow one’s lawn in April and not do it again until August. I find myself enjoying talking to the Lord while on my lawn mower just as much as I do when in my office. The greatest purpose of praying is to talk to the Lord. After all, He already knows what we need long before we ask.
• Pray Specifically — Spring yard work is not always a walk in the park. It takes planning and some common sense. For instance, I know I need my shrubs pruned, but I don’t attack them with my riding mower. I specifically plan to do things in order and in the right manner. Our spring praying should be done in the same way. Two specific prayers I suggest for our spring praying are to pray for the upcoming worldwide celebration of our risen Lord on Easter Sunday and for every nation, including America, where Christians gather to worship. May salvation be preached, Christ be adored, and souls be saved. We should also pray for the gathering of messengers at the 2025 Annual Session of the BMA of America as they convene in Waxahachie, Texas, April 22-24, along with the officers, directors and seminary president as they present their reports. Please pray for a harmonious and effective meeting, as well as for safe travels to and from the meeting.
• Pray Continually — You may not do any spring spraying, but each of us can certainly do our spring praying. May God bless each of you, and may we expect great things from Him.
