Stand Praying

And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, so that your Father in heaven will also forgive you your wrongdoing. -Jesus from Mark’s record

I suppose standing prayers are the most used kind by us girls. We have our hands in the dishwater at the sink, just standing there going through the motions, musing or mulling. We stand at the checkout at Walmart, or with the congregation for the benediction, and in front of the washer handling our people’s laundry from dirty to drawered, many times all week. Because life is real we are drawn to praying those musings or mullings.

Then IF looms. I know about this and Jesus must have known that “something against” would come up for us over and over. Our suds-soaked hands stop. It’s time to forgive.

I read a book where the author commented that aging doesn’t make this step any easier, in fact, the closer to the grave we are the less likely we are to do it. He went on to encourage his readers to forgive it all, in reference to a difficult past and the associated hurts. Wherever we’re praying, right now, forgive. It requires us to open our hands and our minds to frame the words, “I forgive.” We’re praying and forgiving others to God. This is when His peace of forgiveness for our wrongdoing pours into our souls. This exchange changes everything.