Footprints...and Prayer

Early last week I was walking out to the mailbox in front of our house. I had to smile because I noticed so many different footprints in the frontyard snow. The footprints of our neighbor's cat, the unmistakable prints of a bunny rabbit, birds, squirrels, more than likely a racoon and a possum or two... prints all over the place. Some left during the day - squirrels playing and foraging for those nuts they buried in the fall. Birds nibbling on seed scattered on the ground, and the cat scurrying across the yard a dinnertime! I thought about those prints because many of them were made while I was not looking. I was totally unaware of those night-time critters making their way through my yard, the only evidence being their tiny footprints in the snow. I thought about the footprints I might leave in someone's life, on someone's heart. Footprints I might not be aware I am leaving for someone else to reflect on... are those footprints I leave making someone smile, or do they make them cry. Have I left a mark of joy or hurtfulness? As I am walking this walk of faith... I want to be conscious of the footprints I leave. I want them to be prints of a faithful follower of Christ.

You my blogging friends have left footprints on my life. You bring me great joy and I am so thankful that God has provided an outlet for Christians all over to gather together and share His grace and mercy!

My time posting in blogland might be sporadic over the next 6 weeks. I pray I will have time to visit all of you often, but will check in when I can. I a little over a week I will begin leading our small group in Maxie Dunnam's "The Workbook of Living Prayer". Our church has been spending over a year focusing and emphasizing prayer. This study is going to require a lot of time, not only as a facilitator, but as a fellow sojourner as we study, pray and grow. I would greatly appreciate your prayers as I begin to facilitate another study.

One thing I would like to do over the next 6 weeks is this: On Monday's I will put out a blog post. I will ask for you to post any specific prayer requests you would like our group, our church etc to pray for. We have a prayer wall in place in the narthex, as well as a literal prayer chain. Each one of us will be using strips of paper to write prayer requests on, they will be prayed over, and then linked together. These chains will be hung throughout the sanctuary as a visual image of how many requests are being prayed over. I will not use names, unless you specifically ask for your name to be mentioned. I will simply write down the request. You may also post anonymously if that would make you feel more comfortable. I am excited that prayers will be said for you, your family, friends, or anyone that you know needs prayer. You will be prayed for by people in our congregation you have never met! How awesome is God!

Finally, I ask that you pray for my Church, and all the members participating, as well as those not participating in this small group study on prayer. May this study and our prayers leave footprints on the hearts of many!

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
~ Phillipians 4:6-7