“Prayer is like pulling on a scarf, before setting out on a walk, “ I thought, “I wrap it around and around, trusting it will be there for me.”

As Dusty eagerly led the way today on our morning walk, I tugged tightly on my scarf, I untwisted tangles of his leash, and I focused fully on pulling my thoughts into position.  I needed to pray; I needed to sense that with every step I would walk wrapped in a conversation of my concerns being heard with loving care.

I zipped my jacket against the cold, pulled on my gloves, and followed Dusty’s frantic leaps into the piles of leaves.  He poked his nose under a remnant of snow and simultaneously started digging to uncover a smell that instinctively urged him to action.  He felt the need to pry and pry and pry, while I felt pulled to pray and pray and pray.

“Okay, let’s pry and pray, Dusty!”

I often think that if someone listened in on my prayers it would sound like the beginning of a call between a service provider and a customer with an urgent need.

“This is Denise, Lord, thank you for taking my prayer request today. “

Okay, maybe I ‘m not always that formal, but I do consciously begin every prayer trying to focus on that tried but true “attitude of gratitude.”  For many years I have approached prayer as a gift.  We have the opportunity to accept it at any moment, and as such I attempt to acknowledge it as often as possible.  Granted I am a chatty person, I like my conversations with God, I linger in dialogue with Him, dangling all my hopes, dumping all my troubles, disposing all my regrets.  It’s a wonder He stays focused!!

However it seems that I sense those prayer nudges from God especially when Dusty and I take a walk alone.

“Do you want to talk about that, Denise? Are you ready to listen?”

I might hear it as a thought as clear as a letter written in my mind.   Likewise I could simply watch Dusty being pulled in a distinctive direction and just like that…  the invitation occurs to me.   “Let’s pray.”

Sometimes I don’t think I need to pray, so the nudge will begin to feel like a poke on Facebook… Remember me? I’m your friend!  Then I am reminded that He too wants to continue our conversation.

This morning I literally felt prayer nudges with every motion I made while I tied on my scarf.  I just wanted to pull on prayer and wrap it snugly around me.

Today I am thankful that I need to pray, whether to express my gratitude, to tumble about my concerns or joys, or to pull on a prayer while I listen to Him for guidance.  I am humbled that just as my Lord, my God sends His prayer invitations, He also accepts each one of my prayers as a beautiful gift from me.

November has arrived with a bit cooler weather…

So, go ahead, pull on your prayer… it’s the warmest scarf you’ll ever find!