You didn’t choose me! I chose you! John 15:16 (TLB)

When church members were asked to make prayer shawls for the opening worship at our annual conference, the response was overwhelming. There were nearly five hundred shawls—loose-knit pastels, frothy wisps of net, fringed paisley silks and even shawls featuring cowboy scenes. I quickly saw the one I wanted: a black lace mantilla that would look great with my black dress.

Only I didn’t get to choose. After I took Holy Communion, a youth delegate selected a colorful patchwork of orange, green, brown and lilac diamonds, cable-stitched and fringed in black. As she draped it around my shoulders, the word that came to mind was “sturdy.”

At home, I draped the shawl over a chair in my bedroom, thinking I might give it away. Instead, I’ve found myself reaching for it each time I have a special worry or concern. I prayed for my grandson Ryan when he celebrated his eighteenth birthday by going skydiving, I wiped tears with the shawl when a tragic accident took the life of a friend, I appreciated its warmth when an attack of bursitis made moving painful.

The shawl, I realized, was the best possible choice for me! It was strong, sturdy and comforting—a colorful reminder of God’s everlasting mercy and overflowing grace.

“I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me.” —Matthew 25:45

The knock at our door came at about 9:00 p.m. There stood a thin, young Black man. “Reverend Weary, I’m hungry,” he said. “Could you loan me twenty dollars to get some food?”

Many negative thoughts ran through my mind. Is he really hungry, or is he only looking for money to buy alcohol or drugs? Is he hungry because he spent all of his money on alcohol or drugs and then expects me to feed him?

Usually, if someone comes to my door asking for a handout, I take him to the store and buy some food. But with the house full of visitors, I had to make a quick judgment. So I prayed, Lord, use this gift to bless this man.

“Reverend Weary,” he said, “I’m going to pay you back.” “No,” I said, “this is a gift from God. Use it to glorify Christ.” He walked away, and I returned to my guests.

I was feeling a little uneasy, more questions running through my mind. But none of that mattered. In the person of that beggar, Jesus wasn’t asking me to be a social worker, a psychologist or a judge. He was asking me to give, as best I could, and to leave the results to Him.

Enter through the narrow gate. For wide is the gate and broad is the road that leads to destruction, and many enter through it. But small is the gate and narrow the road that leads to life, and only a few find it.” Matthew 7:13–14 (NIV)

A few years ago my husband and I hiked a remote area of the Ottawa National Forest. We’ve done a lot of hiking, including sections of the Superior Hiking Trail, so we felt fairly confident. But the old-growth forests provided a new experience.

Instead of clear paths cutting through thick underbrush, we found stretches of huge trees in all directions, with smooth forest floor coated with a bed of fallen leaves. No dirt path visible. Nothing to indicate which way to go, except for small trail markers nailed to trees.

At first, we could scan into the distance and spot the next marker and know which way to head. But sometimes trail markers were missing. We found several broken off, or resting in the dirt near the base of a tree. When the trail seemed to disappear, I forged ahead. Eventually I pulled to a stop. “I have no idea where I’m going.” My husband muttered, “That never stops you.”

We backtracked to the last marker and tried a new direction until we found the elusive next symbol. Our hike that day reminded me of the adventure of following Christ. He might give me a glimpse of the final destination, but most of my life journey, I’m aiming just for the next small trail marker up ahead.

My steps lead through rocky terrain, beautiful vistas and swampy bogs. Often God’s guidance is as clear as the white diamond markers on tree trunks, giving me courage for tough climbs and wet slogs. Other times, I struggle to see the path. I flounder in a likely direction for a while and then need to backtrack a bit, stand still and listen until Jesus gets me back on track. His narrow path is the only one that will lead me safely through the wild forests of my life and home to my eternal destiny.

Faith Step: Ask Jesus to show you clear trail markers for the next step in your journey on His path.

One day soon afterward Jesus went up on a mountain to pray, and he prayed to God all night. At daybreak he called together all of his disciples and chose twelve of them to be apostles. Luke 6:12–13 (NLT)

Prayer must have been important to Jesus. The Bible records often His solitary activity with His Father. His prayers included thanksgiving, petition, and praise, often including all night sessions without sleep. Early in Jesus’ ministry, Jesus spent one of those slumberless nights in prayer. The next morning He would be selecting the twelve men He would disciple for the next three years. Big decision. Important one. These men would help change the world for God.

Jesus also prayed during His baptism, at the beginning of His ministry (Luke 3:21). He led the disciples in a model prayer (Matthew 6:8–13), and He gave thanks before He fed 5,000 + people with five loaves and two fishes (Matthew 14:19). Jesus interceded for His disciples before He was betrayed (John 17). He prayed so intently in the Garden of Gethsemane, that He sweat drops of blood (Luke 22:44).

But the Bible doesn’t record all the words of Jesus’ prayers. I’ve often wondered, Why? How should I pray? When should I pray? At stress time? Test time? Bedtime?

The more I read about Jesus’ life and His prayers, the more I understand how to answer those questions. What matters to God is not the words we pray, or the amount of time we spend praying, but the life of the prayer. Praying revealed Jesus’ relationship with His Father. For us, prayer is also a relationship, one that grows as we spend time with Jesus daily.

Prayer is also an attitude, a response, and a commitment. But most of all, it is practicing the presence of God daily, worshipping Him continually, and depending upon His power completely. That’s what Jesus did.

Faith step: Plan your own private “prayer retreat” this week. Try reading through some Psalms, praising and thanking Jesus for who He is and what He has done for you.