Life Off Line: 5 Ways to be sure to pray

Today you can find me over at The MOM Initiative posting about Parenting out of the Pit of Addiction.

Today is also the official merger day of Scripture Dig and Do Not Depart. I'm excited to be "going along" as part of the Do Not Depart contributor team. Right now our Bible study together is called Run to Him and is based on various Psalms. This week we read Psalm 4, and 2 phrases got my attention in my real Life Off Line: 

• "Answer me when I call, O God of my righteousness!" v. 1
• "the Lord hears when I call to him." v. 3

The "when I call" repetition grabbed me, because it's so easy to be so caught up with so many things that I just fail to call. .... Kid appointments. Work demands. Laundry loads. Physical weakness. People pressure. Legitimate needs. I can get caught up in all the "doing" and in attempting to work out my own answers that I leave out "when I call."  

5 Ways to be sure I call:

1. Get up a little earlier or stay up a little later
2. Find a place to be alone (when all else fails, the bathroom ...)
3. Sit still and think about God (the car works!)
4. Open my Bible and pray back His words
5. Use a simple prayer journal to keep me focused

Next week I'll wrap up the Life Off Line focus, but I will never cease to need to stop and call on the Lord. He will hear and answer ... when I call. 

Other topics you might want to read from our Life Off Line series:

• Friendship
• Marriage: How to Have a Real Fight
• Real Hospitality
• God's Word
• Real Truth, Real Women
• 7 Real Habits for Happy Marriage
• Real Encouragement
• Snowman Craft
• Marriage: How do you do w/mess? 
• Are you resting?