It sure has been a chilly winter for those of us caught in the midst of living in Ohio! In preparing to write this article and looking at the calendar, a ray of light lifted my hopes of seeing the end to this chilly blast of "Old Man Winter." March 20th marks the first day of SPRING!!!! Praise God for this hope.  What is it about spring that lifts the human spirit? Springtime, isn't just a few months of pleasant weather before the sweltering heat of summer… it's a celebration after the long reign of winter. We don't truly appreciate the vibrancy of spring until we've lived through a bleak, snowy Ohio winter. This time of the year has reminded me of the psalms that speak of nature's bounty. And it's hard to find a more exciting expression of praise for God's abundance than the one penned by the psalmist and king, David:

"You care for the land and water it; you enrich it abundantly. The streams of God are filled with water to provide the people with grain, for so you have ordained it. You drench its furrows and level its ridges; you soften it with showers and bless its crops. You crown the year with your bounty, and your carts overflow with abundance. The grasslands of the wilderness overflow; the hills are clothed with gladness. The meadows are covered with flocks and the valleys are mantled with grain; they shout for joy and sing". - Psalm 65:9-13

I love the way God provides the light of hope and a hand of provision for those of us that experience all four seasons of the year, wondering, "How much longer until the next season?" I believe that we often go through seasons in our prayer lives where we do not take the time to read and meditate on God's Word or pray intentionally for our families or ourselves. We pray but our prayers may become humdrum, repetitive, or pointless.

From time to time, I've felt the prayers for my son and grandchildren were very general, superficial, and powerless. I just prayed they would be safe, have a good day and I would be on my way, since I didn't live near them and didn't know their immediate needs.

All that changed after I asked God to give me wisdom and insight into how I could pray for them intentionally. Praying intentionally involves a determination to pray in a certain way, done by intention or design. Asking God for direction and reading several books about prayer, I was encouraged. I gained some tools to help me to pray intentionally and regularly for my children and grandchildren.

The Bible, God's word was the greatest resource I discovered that could help me with my praying, not only for my family but also for myself. We read in Hebrews 4:12 "For the Word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edge sword, it penetrates even to dividing soul and spirit, joints, and marrow; it judges the thoughts and attitudes of the heart." It was alive and full of power, bringing energy into my prayers.  Personalizing God's Word in our prayers releases His supernatural power and presence in our life!

As you experience spring approaching soon here in Ohio, I hope your thoughts will turn to accessing your prayer life for your children, grandchildren, and yourself. If you are in a winter season in your prayer life and you have not been spending time with the Lord regularly or in prayer, allow the spring season to bring new life to your prayers!

In His grip, 
Larry