But a year ago, God began showing me how to apply this instruction to my life. A dear friend experienced a tough breakup. She was headed toward marriage and, with one phone call, her life’s direction did a complete 180. He—and her dream of marriage—was gone. This friend weighed heavily on my mind. I‘d find myself thinking about her during the day and worried about how to help.

At the same time, I started an e-mail correspondence with someone who lived in a different city. We never met in person; it was one of those I-have-this-friend-who-knows-someone- you-should-meet kinds of things. We e-mailed back and forth for several weeks, and then just as suddenly as it started, it ended. I haven’t heard from him since. I found myself thinking about this random person and wondering why God would have him cross my path for only a few weeks.

Heavy Thoughts
These situations started to consume my thoughts (I mean, I did think about other things on occasion, such as what color lip gloss to buy), but I realized I could control my reaction. Those anxious thoughts could be a source of stress, or they could be a catalyst to draw me closer to my heavenly Father.

So every time my heartbroken friend crossed my mind, I took that thought captive to the authority of Christ by turning it into a prayer (2 Corinthians 10:5). Even though I didn’t know my random e-mail friend very well, I still prayed for him. And you know what? Something unexpected happened: I started to experience a deeper intimacy with God.

I got a glimpse of what it means to actually pray without ceasing. Rather than spending time worrying about how to fix a hurting friend or analyzing a new friendship, I spent time in fellowship with God. And Sisses, those moments of prayer as I was sitting at my desk, cooking dinner or getting a pedicure were like eating a cherry Popsicle on a hot summer day—sweet and refreshing.

Before long, those prayers became less about my friends and more about my drawing nearer to the heart of God. It became less about how my prayers were changing their lives and more about how God was changing mine.

If I never exchange another e-mail with my random friend and find out if my prayers made a difference, that’s OK. I’ve learned the secret of praying without ceasing, and it’s been such a sweet lesson, indeed. Now if only I could learn how to pack lightly for this year’s Brio missions trip!