Pray without ceasing…1 Thessalonians 5:16
Blink! In the blink of an eye…a prayer trigger interrupts me. I’m reminded to pray. Last week, I shared how prayer triggers are simply objects which represent people and places I care about. When “triggered,” I breathe a quick prayer to God. It’s kind of like winking at someone with whom I share a secret. But does this nano-second prayer even count? It almost seems lightweight next to my carefully thought-out morning prayers. Seated in a quiet place with Bible, pen, and journal in hand, these prayers seem more, well, weighty.
I was pondering the value of “blink” prayers the other day before an afternoon run and decided to watch for prayer triggers over the course of my route. During the thirty minute run, I noticed quite a few triggers. A Virginia Tech banner in someone’s yard reminded me to pray for my dad. Hummingbirds prompted prayer for my granddaughter. And the deer were out in number, triggering lots of prayer for my husband!
But what struck me were the number of American flags…fourteen to be exact! I bumped into a flag on every corner. One was suspended from a closeline, another perched in a flower pot. Flags are my trigger to remind me to pray for the upcoming election. So during an ordinary run, I was prompted to pray for our nation and its election, over and over and over again.
Then, it struck me. These “blink” prayers are not too quick for God. After all, He moves faster than the speed of light! And they are not lightweight. I imagined how earth must look from God’s vantage point. What if He’s prompting “blink” prayers all over the world for this election? The impact of such a spontaneous symphony of prayer might even look like a display of fireworks from heaven’s perspective!
But life moves fast and I need reminders to pray…triggers. So I think I’ll keep watching for American flags and praying “on the go.” Will you join me? How about offering a “blink prayer” for this upcoming election whenever you see an American flag? Together, we can make a difference!
If two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. Mat. 18:19
marilynn chadwick 
October 4th, 2012 at 1:49 pm
Marilynn, once again you have given me a fresh way to look at prayer triggers. Never before have I put together all my prayer triggers to see how often they cause me to pray throughout the day…and week. And I love how you characterized all of us praying in response to prayer triggers becomes a “symphony of prayer.”
Thank you for faithfully sharing the amazing gift of prayer God has given you. You are such a blessing in my life.
Wendy