I didn’t grow up in a family where intentional prayers for one another were a regular practice. Praying was considered deeply personal rather than public. While both personal and public forms of prayer hold value, the art of praying for others remained an uncharted territory for me. The fear of judgment and the pressure of saying the "right" words in an encouraging manner kept me from praying out loud in front of others. However, as I grew more spiritually mature in my relationship with Jesus, he taught me that powerful prayers stem from the heart, not using eloquent lofty words but with sincerity and filled with scripture! When I got engaged to my now husband, I wanted to take praying for him seriously.

Just kidding! Relationships and marriage are complicated… I prayed for a man that would be my prince charming…yes I am in love with the idea of a knight in shining armor who would ride in on his white horse and rescue me. Stop laughing…we’ve all been there, and ya know what?! That’s totally OK! Years ago, I was in a terrible, I mean an awful relationship with someone where I experienced a constant temptation to do what was unpleasing in the Lord’s eyes. I absolutely knew I was not living a godly lifestyle, but I was scared to break off the relationship for fear of being alone.

Sitting down to write this week's blog post, I felt frustrated and overwhelmed. My family has been struck by illness, leaving us all feeling exhausted and drained. But as I was lamenting the timing of it all, I felt a gentle nudge from the Holy Spirit, reminding me exactly why I'm writing about the importance of relying on our relationship with Christ during times of hardship. This year I have been learning what an authentic relationship with Christ genuinely looks like. It’s not based on formal, tidy, pretty prayers and platforms but rather the opposite.