Sheila Walsh - Get Off Your Knees and Pray: A Womans Guide to Life-Changing Prayer

2008 by Sheila Walsh

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All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from The Holy Bible, New International Version. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984, by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan Bible Publishing House. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, IL 60189. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted NCV are taken from the Holy Bible, The New Century Version. Copyright 1987, 1988, 1991. Used by permission of Thomas Nelson Publishers.

Scripture quotations noted NKJV are taken from The New King James Version. All rights reserved. Copyright 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations noted MSG are taken from The Message by Eugene H. Peterson. Copyright 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group. All rights reserved.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Walsh, Sheila, 1956
Get off your knees and pray / Sheila Walsh.
p. cm.
Summary: "A Woman's Guide to Life-Changing Prayer"Provided by publisher.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 978-0-8499-1953-4 (hardcover)
ISBN 978-1-4002-8004-9 (IE)
1. PrayerChristianity. 2. Christian womenReligious life. I. Title.
BV210.3.W36 2007
248.3'2dc22

2007036803

Printed in the United States of America
08 09 10 11 12 13 QW 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

This book is dedicated with love and gratitude
to our Women of Faith intercessor, Lana Bateman.
You have taught me so much about living a
life of prayer, and I thank our Father for you.

contents

All my most memorable trips have been shared with a friend or a loved one. Writing this book has been no exception.

I am deeply grateful to Leslie Peterson, who has walked this editorial path with me every step of the way. Your grace and patience touched me deeply, and your sense of humor carried me when I was about to shave my head!

Jennifer Stair took our offering and lovingly groomed and trimmed it so that even if it wont win Best in Show, it can wag its tail with the best of them.

Bryan Norman, you are my new hero. Your editorial suggestions, questions, wisdom, and encouragement have impacted me deeply. Thank you!

Brian Hampton and the whole Thomas Nelson team make it pure joy to follow the call of a writer. I consider it a great honor to be part of your family.

Tami Heim, you are a brilliant leader and treasured friend!

Mary Graham and my porch pals at Women of Faithyou are my fellow road warriors as we take the life-changing news of the love of God to a wounded world. I love you all.

I want to thank my husband, Barry, and son, Christian, for their grace, patience, and understanding of the writing process and for providing me with so much material!

If you had asked me to describe my spiritual life when I was twenty years old, it would have sounded something like this: I love to read the Bible. I love reading spiritual classics. I am very involved in my church. And I am challenged in my prayer life.

At thirty, I would have said pretty much the same thing, except in regard to prayer I might have reduced I am challenged to I stink. (I was beginning to be more honest about my life in my thirties.) But otherwise the facts would remain intact.

At forty, I would have added that I love talking to women about faith and fear, honesty and heartache. And I had pretty much resigned myself to stinking in my prayer life.

And now? Well, now I am fifty, and change in every arena of life has become an ongoing reality.

My eyesight has deteriorated to the shifting terrain of bifocals. At my last eye test, when the optometrist covered my left eye, I could only read the first two lines on the chart. When he covered my right eye, I couldnt see the wall!

I am definitely getting shorter. To remedy this, I have two clear choices: wear higher heels or have all my pants altered.

I need my roots retouched every three weeks now instead of every six. When I suggested going back to my natural color, my hair-stylist said I no longer have one. Who knew that was even possible?

But in the midst of all these unsettling changes, I am discovering profound and simple gifts that have come with the passing years. For example, I dont worry so much about the little things in life. If my son and four of his ten-year-old friends decide to make a fort in the kitchen just as Im about to make dinner, I switch the menu to franks and beans and serve it to them in the tent. And when unexpected troubles come my way, Ive learned I have good friendsfriends I can count on. We love, treasure, and support one another. We laugh at all the petty indignities of aging and cry together when life takes one of us through a dark night.

I am changing in my understanding of my spiritual life too. I am more inclined to listen for Gods voice than to present to him a list of requests. I have a quiet confidence that no matter what seems to be true, God is always in control.

Most important, I have realized that it is not possible to stink at prayer. It might feel that way to us at times, but I believe that from Gods perspective, he gladly receives our words and he sees our hearts. Any prayer is a gift to him, for it means we are talking to him. We just have to take that first stepand begin embracing prayer as part of our daily lives, as vital to us as breathing.

I no longer divide my life into the spiritual part and everything else. I believe when we recognize God is always with us, every breath can be a prayer. Prayer is not just a few sentences we say to God while on our knees, but it is living out our ongoing, every-moment commitment to Godhence the title: Get Off Your Knees and Pray!

Perhaps youre thinking, Prayer is easywe were made to rejoicein our relationship with God and to thank him for his gifts. Well, sure, its always easy to be thankful for Gods good gifts. But what about when were not thankful? What about when were hurt? Angry? Numb? Is it so easy then?

It might not be so easy, but he wants it to be our first response.

Or perhaps youre thinking, Prayer has never been easy for me. I do stink at it! You feel like what you say to him is insincere, unsure. Or you question whether he even really cares to hear from you. Or youre so overwhelmed you dont even want to talk to him.

It isnt. He does. He still wants you to.

God hears all our prayers, the good and the bad. He is big enough to handle our honest questions and our doubts and even our anger. I sat beside a friend after she buried her child and listened as she poured out her raw emotions to God. Her prayer wasnt pretty, but it was from her heart and God knew it. I watched my son struggle with prayer after the death of his beloved grandfather: Didnt you tell me, Mommy, that if I prayed God would answer? Well, I asked him not to take my papa and he did. Prayer doesnt work! It hurt me immeasurably to see his pain, but I knew God was there with him. And Ive blasted God with my own prayer challenges... and mumbled to him my doubts. And I know he heard me. He has heard you too.