Sticky-Note Prayers

Take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God.

Pray in the Spirit at all times in every prayer and supplication. To that end keep alert and always persevere in supplication for all the saints. Pray also for me, so that when I speak, a message may be given to me to make known with boldness the mystery of the gospel, for which I am an ambassador in chains. Pray that I may declare it boldly, as I must speak. Ephesians 6:17-20

After Mary Hunt Webb, from New Mexico, and her husband married, they had conflicting schedules. Mary was working on her bachelor's degree, and he often worked evening shifts as a meteorologist. Mary came home one afternoon to find a note taped to the fireplace. They began communicating via these short notes when their schedules didn't line up. They stuck them on the bathroom mirror, the door to the garage, in the kitchen, and in other places where they were sure to attract attention. Their son didn't understand their history with the notes and disliked them, but her husband and Mary knew they were love notes with the intent of maintaining communication.

Like those notes, our prayers don't have to be long-winded. Short prayers throughout the day strengthen our relationship with God. The apostle Paul tells us to "rejoice always, pray without ceasing, [and] give thanks in all circumstances" (1 Thess. 5"16-18, NRSVUE). This means not just praising God for the things we are happy about, but also for things that might not give us joy. Rejoicing, praising, praying, and thanking God are all ways we can include God in our day, and Mary believes it is a wonderful way to honor God.

Prayer: Dear Lord, thank you for hearing even our shortest prayers. Help us remember that nothing is too trivial to pray about, in Jesus' name. Amen.