by Brittney Chan
“Flight attendants, please prepare for gate departure.”
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’d like to direct your attention to the television monitors. We will be showing our safety demonstration and would like the next few minutes of your complete attention.”
Raise your hand if you’ve heard something like this before. If you have flown anywhere, you know the routine. The flight attendants roam up and down the airplane’s cabin to make sure everyone is seated - with their tray in an upright position - and they begin their safety demonstrations. Recently, I’ve noticed that most airlines have updated these presentations to light-hearted, yet instructional, videos that are straight to the point. But I have always liked watching the attendant follow along to the script. They’ll pull out a modified seatbelt and show you how to fasten it. They’ll cover the location of exit doors and life rafts. They’ll tell you what to do in case of an emergency landing. And usually, they’ll hold up an oxygen mask and act as if it’s falling down from the ceiling when there’s a change in the cabin’s air pressure. What they typically say next always sticks out to me. They tell you to secure the mask over your own mouth and nose before trying to help anyone else.
And that’s the way it is in life. There is always a need to make sure your own bases are covered before you go to fight for someone else. The only way to do that is through a healthy prayer life.
There’s a common misconception to prayer. People who pray are not perfect. They don’t have to have all the right words to say to unlock the flow of God’s power. But they do have to have faith. They may set aside specific times to pray and have routines, but Christians that are ready to make a difference for the Kingdom talk to God as frequently as they need to during their day. They carry His nearness with them. They know that they have direct access to the Throne at any moment.
But they don’t just wait to talk to God whenever it’s convenient for them. They also remain sensitive to His prodding. They let Him open their eyes to the opportunities around them. They walk in a Spirit of Prayer, feeling after Him for the next steps they should take.
The Bible tells us that God is as close as the mention of His name. Psalm 145:18-19 says, “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, To all that call upon him in truth. He will fulfill the desire of them that fear him: He also will hear their cry, and will save them.”
My prayer is that when you wake up, get ready, and leave your house that you don’t forget the power that you carry with you. Exercising the right to pray is the most practical thing a Christian can do. It’s the foundation for everything else and it can happen anywhere, at any time. Be instant, my friend.
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