His mercies are new

I am convinced that God answers prayer, big or small. Sometimes He comes through in just the way we'd like, sometimes by not giving us what we'd like, just to give us something far better in the long run. Sometimes we never really see the fruit of our prayers, but we can trust that in the fullness of time, no prayer goes unanswered.

My prayer life is often scattered - I've often struggled with keeping my mind where it should be or getting stuck in a rut of saying the same old thing. Of course, I want my husband protected, my children to love God and each other, those in need to be blessed and those I love to meet Jesus. All these things are right and good to pray for, but I occasionally need the reminder that God cares about all the things I care about, that nothing is too small or insignificant for His notice.

Examples? Like God giving us the name for our new son through the prophetic word of my 7-year old. Or having misplaced our camera a couple weeks ago, remembering to pray for it's safe return one night and actually seeing (in a dream, no less) exactly where it was (and there it was, indeed).

Sometimes He's even so kind as to answer the prayers I forgot to pray - like finding the checkbook that had been missing for a month underneath Noah's car seat (I have no idea why), or finding Noah's long-lost hat (that I thought had been lost in Baltimore city a year ago) hiding behind a dresser.

I want to see the sick healed, the persecuted receive justice and the lost saved, but sometimes it's the little examples of His grace and mercy that encourage my faint heart and humble faith.

But for your own sake, don't lose anything at my house...