May 25 – “Prayer hurts?”

Not much to report today.  No further action on the car front, although it sure doesn’t like switching into second gear.  Chris is still doing some hard and heavy research on what price we should be willing to pay.  I’m just ready to grab one and get it over with … get on the road again.  Hey, that would make a good song, wouldn’t it?  Somebody ought to mention it to a country singer/songwriter. 

I did start an exercise regimen for my knee.  I’m seeing if getting the muscles around it stronger will help the knee problem itself, or is it too far gone?  I found the exercises I had to do after the same knee was operated on many, many years ago (back when I was still a semi-athlete).  And Chris has already been onto me to do stuff to strengthen my quads.  Maybe I’ll come out of this with monster muscles … on my legs, anyway. 

Check out this thought from my quiet time this morning (Experiencing God Day-By-Day):

We are a generation that avoids pain at all costs.  This is why there are so few intercessors.  Most Christians operate on the shallowest levels of prayer, but God wants to take us into the deep levels of intercessory prayer that only a few ever experience.  Deep, prolonged intercession in painful.  It involves staying before God when everyone else has gone away or sleeps (Luke 22:45).  It involves experiencing brokenness with the Father over those who continually rebel against Him.  How many of us will experience this kind of fervent intercession?

Luke 22:44 says, “And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly.  Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground.”

Father, that look at prayer is kind of a scary one.  I sure feel like I have all the pain I can handle.  Call your people … as deep as we can stand it.  Amen.