Prayer

"To breathe was to pray" and "without prayer, we are essentially dead" These phrases stuck out to me as I read. I thought of 1 Thessalonians 5:17 which says, "pray continually." So pretty much we should pray as often as we breathe and without this constant prayer we are dead. I personally do not pray continually or with every breath I take because sometimes I feel that I can do things on my own or don't think of looking to God in a situation. Later, after stressing out for a while or having a bad day, I realize that God was not part of it because I wasn't letting him be apart of it. This is because I wasn't talking to him and giving him every situation I faced. Then I want to kick myself in the butt because I missed out on that time I could have spent in communication with God.

For the first couple of weeks I worked last summer I did just that. I relied on myself to do things and not on God. By Monday of my second week I was exhausted, having a difficult week, and even thought about not reapplying for this summer. Then Emily floated me and showed me (without actually knowing what was going on in my head) John 15:4-5. "Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me..." This was a total slap in the face and I realized that I had been trying to do everything on my own and not through God. I had to trust him completely or else I could do nothing. These verses were exactly what I needed to be shown, and it was amazing how much more energy and strength I had just because I was abiding in God and praying to him throughout the day for his help. 

"Where can I flee from your presence? If I go to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in the depths, you are there. If I rise on the wings of the dawn , if I settle on the far side of the sea, even there your hand will guide me, your right hand will hold me fast." I read this verse and applied it to my own life. Where can I flee from God? He is with me when I am at school in Santa Barbara, and when I am home in Fresno. He is with me when I am at the Delta, doing everything from ski runs to hanging with campers. He is with me wherever I go. There is no reason for me to do anything apart from my father because he is always with me, which is incredible! The God who created the universe loves me so much that he is always with me and always wants to help me, I just have to let him. 

I love you all and hope you are all doing well!