What daily habit do you do that improves your quality of life?

Prayer.

My mother prayed all the time, but I thought it was because she was a ministers wife. It was not.

When I met the man I would marry, have children with and divorce, I was so sure of my world, as most 19 year olds are.

After I married and became a military spouse, I found myself praying more often.

When I got pregnant and was told I needed bed rest for the foreseeable future, I prayed all day long, praying that I would keep this baby, that my body would not betray me, that I would be a good mother. While in labor I prayed for everything. When I held the tiny, 11 pound, 7 ounce, 22 1/2 inches long, little baby boy, I prayed that the world would not steal his heart, that he would be honest, loving, helpful, respectful and that he would grow to be intelligent and serve the Lord.

During trying for baby number 2, discovering issues, I prayed. When I got pregnant the 2nd time, and the same issue from the first pregnancy cropped up, I prayed. When they put me on bed rest for the final weeks of my pregnancy, I prayed and cried. I wanted to savor the final days of my son being the only child. When I was in labor, I thought I was praying softly, but the nurses came running because my prayer volume reached the level of my Pentecostal roots and they thought I needed help because my prayers were screamed and consisted of “Jesus please help me! Take away my pain! Jesus! Now!”

When my children started school I prayed over them every day. I did not want this world to taint them with evil.

When I was in the process of my divorce and moving from Missouri to Texas, I prayed in earnest, every day. Was this the right thing? Was I causing damage to my children? Was this the right move for me, in my career, for my peace of mind?

As a single mother, I prayed a lot, for everything and every body who crossed the path of my children. I prayed away friends that were not good for my children. I prayed for the teachers, counselors and admin staff at their schools. I prayed for those parents who take it upon themselves to correct everyone else’s kid but their own, I prayed that God took care of it before I did. I prayed for the people they came in contact with at church. Just because my aunt and uncle were the pastors, did not mean everyone who showed up had good intentions.

When my mother lay dying, I sat next to her bed, my head bowed on my hands, leaning on the bed, I prayed for my mother to have peace for my father to not fear being without her, for my sister and I to be able to move forward, for my children, who had already lost. 2 of their 4 grandparents. As I was whispering my prayer, my mother stroked my head and I heard her whispering a prayer for me.

When my father was dying, I sat there and prayed. I was just barely whispering, my father took my hand, squeezed it, and said “never stop, Susie.“

I pray every day. For everything. Parking spots, sales, work, weather, groceries, gas tanks, etc. I pray for it all. Clean rest stops, safety on the road, the food we will eat, people we will cross paths with, etc.

That is my habit. My pleasure, my duty, my responsibility, my obligation, my honor, my gift to give, my sacrifice.

In Thessalonians 5:17 it says to pray without ceasing. When I was younger, I thought it meant that actually prayed, out loud, all day long. Something like, “Dear God help me today, keep me out of the enemy’s path, help me to be a light to others, “Hi Maryanne, How you doin’? Love that dress, girl, bless her Lord, and help her dump that leech of a boyfriend, he is not good for her, Lord” My mother explained prayer as breathing, we don’t think about breathing, it just happens – until you have trouble. Same with prayers, she said, don’t think about it, it would just happen if I adopted an attitude of prayer. I did adopt this attitude, if your name crosses my mind, I pray for you. And here, for you, if your handle here crosses my mind, I say a prayer for you.

Recently, my granddaughter and I were on a little adventure and we happened upon one of the wildfire areas. I immediately began to pray for the family’s of this burnt out area, the first responders, their employers to have mercy, for insurance companies to not look at the bottom line, that they would be able to rebuild and start putting their lives back together, “Oh Jesus help these families, oh Jesus, please no lasting damage from smoke or burns…” in the back seat, I heard, “Jesus help the kids and the mommy’s and daddy, keep them safe…”

Prayer is my habit, I believe it improves my life. With prayer, I can control anger, outbursts of frustration at coworkers, leadership, and trainees. I can take the barbs of, ‘oh you follow a cult then…’. I can take the jabs of “talking to sky daddy again? Asking for birthday wishes?” And the half joking, ‘while you’re at it, ask for the powerball numbers…’

Prayer is my habit. I will not break. I will not bend. I will not acquiesce. I will not stop, until my last breath, and I stand before my God, and my petitions turn into praises.

Prayer is how I make it in this world.