"Prayer and Packrats" by Barbara Hemphill, LeadHer Ambassador and Local Coordinator" for Friday, 30 December 2016My passion for more than three decades has been encouraging and assisting people to eliminate physical and digital clutter so they can accomplish their work and enjoy their lives. A few years ago, God showed me that physical and digital clutter is actually a symptom of emotional and spiritual clutter.
I’ve known from early in my career that I teach what I really need to learn. You see, in spite of what people often think, I am not a naturally organized person. I love the big picture, but frequently get bogged down in the details. I love to start things, but finishing them – that’s a whole different story. I’ve often said that if it weren’t for the systems I created to organize myself, and subsequently use for my clients, I might have ended up on one of those horrible TV organizing shows!
While I’ve figured out systems for physical and digital clutter, which work MOST of the time, I’m a continual student when it comes to emotional and spiritual clutter. I grew up in a very legalistic church, and endured years of bullying in school. I first tried to commit suicide when I was 11 years old, and ended up in a mental hospital in my 40’s.
I’m happy to share that as I approach my 70th birthday, my depression is totally gone, and I feel happier and healthier than I ever have in my life. I attribute my state of mind to many things, but without a doubt, the key contributor is prayer.
I’ve struggled all my life with prayer – and I’ve concluded that the biggest stumbling block has been my ADHD. (Whether or not you have been diagnosed with ADHD, we live in an ADHD world!) It is so difficult for me to sit still and do anything for a very long period of time, and I’ve learned that to overcome that challenge takes lots of trial and error.
Here are five lessons I’ve learned in my attempts to, as God commanded, “pray without ceasing.”
- Prayer is not about my feelings. It’s my commitment to Jesus -- just as I attribute my 30 years of married life to our commitment to each other.
- Prayer doesn’t mean being still – I can pray anytime, anywhere!
- Music motivates me to pray. calms my spirit and allows me to hear God speaking.
- Essential oils support my prayer life, they help me relax and focus as I pray.
- Using scripture makes my prayers more interesting to me – and undoubtedly to God!
You can connect with Barbara via social media or her website using the links below:
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Friday, December 30, 2016
URL: http://wp.me/p6PUJE-nHG
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