When a group in our church goes on a trip, we pray in the vehicles before we leave the parking lot. Do you do that every day? I don’t, and I think I should. Even if I’m alone, I should probably be praying before I crank up. Hmmm, something to remember, yes?  So, before we all embark on our road trip with Jesus this summer, we need to set aside time to pray. Don’t know how? Are you rusty? Don’t feel like it?

Tell me, when your car is running low on gas, do you refuel it according to how you feel? “Well, I don’t feel like stopping by Sheetz right now, so I won’t.” Do you care that the indicator is showing “Empty?” Guess what, Sherlock, the car is going to stop running when the gas is gone.

The first thing that we packed was prayer! It is a required item. We begin with it, we do it all day long, and we end with it in the evening.

Here’s a brief summary of a few things that I do to help you if you need it.

Settling into my prayer chair, I do my best (sometimes it’s easier than others) to be still for a little bit before I begin. I close my eyes and allow my mind to clear. This is why praying in the morning is best – especially before you do anything else. There isn’t loads on your brain. Some things, yes, but not loads…quite yet. Ask the Spirit to help you clear out your mind. You need His help to pray from the very start.

When I believe that it’s time to begin, I begin to talk. There you go – that’s all there is to it. It’s sitting with Jesus and talking. Like I am with you right now…I am typing this, but if you were here with me, I would be saying these words with my mouth. I talk and you talk. I listen to you, and you listen to me. Talk. It is not “rocket science.” All you need is a heart that longs to talk to your Lord and ears to listen to Him talk to you.

You do not need any fancy words, pretty sayings, like “thee or thou” – unless, as I have said before, that is how you talk. Talk to Jesus like you would talk to another person. Tell Him what is on your heart.  Spill it all out. He can’t be shocked by anything you tell Him – He has been with you your entire life. He knows you better than you know yourself. You are safe with Him, safe to talk and share, and you are safely loved. Period. He loves you more than you can even imagine…He is delighted that you are here to sit with Him and talk.

“Lord Jesus! Thank you so much that you have invited me on a summer road trip with You! I give you praise, sweet Spirit, for showing me that I can walk out of the cell that I had been living in; that I could truly walk out and meet You outside where things are clear and good. Jesus, thank You for dying for me on Calvary and removing my chains of sin, and thank you for showing me how to take the chains off that I kept on myself. Here, with You, is where I want to be more than anything or anywhere else! 

As I go with You on this trip, please help me to pay attention to You as best as I can do so. You know that I am only human and my attention span goes only so far. I need Your help, O Spirit, to lengthen my attention span. While You’re at that, would You please help my attentive heart as well?  I must give you my heart every single day, and all that I am, and all that I have. I need Your help to do this. So here it is, I give you my eyes…and my heart.

PLEASE help me to be obedient to Your will! I know that what I want to do or say may not be in my best interest, so let me first come to You before I do or say things as we travel together. In fact, would you give me Your will? I want what You want for me, for you are my Best Advocate! Help me, O God, to turn to you every day, all of the time, and more than that HELP ME TO DO WHAT YOU SAY! 

I can’t wait to go – I am SO excited! YAY YAY YAY, GOD! I know that You’re going to show me lots of wonderful things this summer and that You will reveal your love in many ways. I look forward to sunrises and sunsets, blue skies with lazy clouds, working with you in the fields and gardens, laughing, maybe even crying (You know what I need,) swinging (Lord, You know that I am bipolar, but I do really love to swing – even at my age,) enjoying the others traveling with us and loving them like crazy, and just doing everything with You.

I love how You love to do everything, and how You are so Wonderful at everything! Being with you is a true joy…it is amazing life, and pure love. Thank you for planning this beautiful summer journey and asking me to come along.

As we set out today, please know that I am forever Yours and am so very humbled that You care so much for me. Let me love You like You deserve to be loved…let me give YOUR Heart joy!”

Got a travel journal ready? Get one. Then write today’s date in it. Today is when we leave for our trip. All of our things are packed in the backpack, and it’s unbelievably light! How can all of those things we packed in there be so light?  

Folks, I truly have no idea how this is going to go. I am receiving this step by step. It is an exciting adventure for me to write this down because I receive it little by little. I have no idea where this is going to lead us, but I do know is that we are in for the trip of a lifetime!

Got your backpack? Put it on and let’s walk with Jesus. And away we go!  Isn’t it a beautiful day?

Scripture to ponder:  Psalm 96

Today’s weapon:  “If we walk in the light as He is in the light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus, His Son, purifies us from all sin.” 1 John 1:7