Pondering Point

I found wisdom and encouragement from a YouVersion devotion posted via a friend on Facebook. Maybe you can find encouragement in it also:

Too often we only pray when we need or want something from God – which is understandable considering the English word “pray” means “ask” or “beg”. But the Hebrew word for prayer (tefillah) means to “self-evaluate.” To the Jews of Biblical times, prayer was not merely a time when to ask God for things; it was a time when they examined themselves. They would use prayer as a way to compare their actions, behaviors and attitudes in relation to God’s will and His holiness.

With this week’s theme revolving around praying with and for each other, it makes sense to mutually encourage one another to pray – in this case meaning to prayerfully examine ourselves in light of God’s Word and His ways. Hopefully this meditation time leads us to make adjustments – known as acts of repentance – that better reflect His will.