Every Breath a Prayer

I have always been a daydreamer. Dreams were my fortress every time my family moved to a new place. Every time I had nobody to understand me, I would go to the daydream land. Most of the times I would dream about Prince Charming, sweeping me off my feet, understanding all my challenges and being there for me. I went to bed creating a whole new world and new friendly reality in my mind. And when I woke up, I wanted to stay in my bed and go on dreaming... I walked to school and dreamed. I rode the car and dreamed. I loved being all by myself and dreaming. I remember feeling so empty when I had to face the reality... I realized that the daydreaming is making me incapable of enjoying life... the real life... the life that I was living.

I have tried so many times to break this habbit. But I only found myself going back to my wonderland whenever the reality was hostile. I failed every time no matter how hard I tried. This went on until I found out and experienced the blessings of unceasing prayer. I am still a dreamer, but now I dream about Him. And at the end of the day, instead of dreaming myself to sleep, I am praying myself to sleep. When I wake up, I do not feel empty, I do not feel like I do not want to wake up! Instead, I am ready to face another day... with Him in my thoughts.

I like so much the following quotation. It reflects so well the challenge we are all facing and it gives us the solution:

"The reason why so many are left to themselves in places of temptation is that they do not set the Lord always before them. When we permit our communion with God to be broken, our defense is departed from us. Not all your good purposes and good intentions will enable you to withstand evil. You must be men and women of prayer. Your petitions must not be faint, occasional, and fitful, but earnest, persevering, and constant. It is not always necessary to bow upon your knees in order to pray. Cultivate the habit of talking with the Saviour when you are alone, when you are walking, and when you are busy with your daily labor. Let the heart be continually uplifted in silent petition for help, for light, for strength, for knowledge. Let every breath be a prayer."—(E. G. White, The Ministry of Healing, 510, 511.)

How can you do this? How can you make your every breath a prayer?

1. Some of you might not even want to spend time in prayer. I know it! I have been there! First of all, you need to ask Him to make you willing to spend time with Him in prayer. Make a habit of surrending, asking God to take full control of you and make you willing to pray first thing in the morning, before you get out of bed. You might not feel like you want to pray, you might not have the power to say no to the temptations, but God has promised in Philippians 2,13: for it is God who works in you both to will and to do for His good pleasure. He promised to make us willing if we are willing to be made willing.

He promised to make us willing... this is so freeing... Here is what Ellen White says about surrender:

Many are inquiring, “How am I to make the surrender of myself to God?” You desire to give yourself to Him, but you are weak in moral power, in slavery to doubt, and controlled by the habits of your life of sin. Your promises and resolutions are like ropes of sand. You cannot control your thoughts, your impulses, your affections. The knowledge of your broken promises and forfeited pledges weakens your confidence in your own sincerity, and causes you to feel that God cannot accept you; but you need not despair. What you need to understand is the true force of the will. This is the governing power in the nature of man, the power of decision, or of choice. Everything depends on the right action of the will. The power of choice God has given to men; it is theirs to exercise. You cannot change your heart, you cannot of yourself give to God its affections; but you can choose to serve Him. You can give Him your will;He will then work in you to will and to do according to His good pleasure. Thus your whole nature will be brought under the control of the Spirit of Christ; your affections will be centered upon Him, your thoughts will be in harmony with Him. (E. G. White, Steps to Christ, 47)

2. Than, I recommend that we ask the Lord to send you someone to pray with. Someone who seeks Him with all his heart and who wants to spend time praying with you. It helps so much to know that there is someone you can pray with. Ecclesiastis 4:9 says that Two are better than one...  And the Lord also promised that where there are two or three gathered in His name, He will be there.

3. Every time the temptation comes, pray to Him for delieverance! Every time you are tempted to daydream, or think negative thougts or... you know better what, ask Him to help you do what's right. Instead of listening to the radio or to music, listen to the Bible in audio format or to sermons. It will help you cultivate the habit of thinking about Him and talking to Him.

What a blessing it is to be able to go to sleep with Him in my mind and to wake up with Him in my thoughts. What a blessing it is to be able to talk to Him and surrender everything to Him and do this first thing in the morning, before doing anything else. Here is one of my favourite quotes from Ellen White:

"When you rise in the morning, kneel at your bedside, and ask God to give you strength to fulfil the duties of the day, and to meet its temptations. Ask Him to help you to bring into your work Christ’s sweetness of character. Ask Him to help you to speak words that will inspire those around you with hope and courage, and draw you nearer to the Saviour."—(E. G. White, Sons and Daughters of God, 199.)

My dreams have never been sweeter... and they are getting sweeter every day as I make my every breath a prayer!