Be With Me, Lord

For years I have prayed “be with me, Lord” or for others “be with (name), Lord.” I have not been claiming God’s promise. I’ve been asking Him to do something He has already promised. He promises to be with us. The command “do not be afraid for I am with you” is given over 200 times in the Bible.
I have been learning to re-word my prayers. I still catch myself starting “God, please be with (name).” I simply stop and start over. I don’t think He minds. I now pray “Let (name) feel your presence in his/her life.” God will not stop being there. It’s the person who sometimes shuts Him out.
Recently Faye and Kenneth Jackson responded on a Sunday morning with a story that just awed me. Faye is in our Monday night Bible study group. I have included those ladies in my prayers, praying that each of them will feel the presence of God in their lives. They told the story of Faye’s hydroplaning on the interstate coming home from Chattanooga around the Monteagle Pass. It was an amazing story of her awareness of God watching after her safety, of the people He put in her life that day, and of the calm and peace He gave to her during that situation, and how they praised God for His care. I felt like Rhoda who opened the door and was amazed to find Peter standing there after they had been praying for his release from prison.
Since that time Mary Nell Criswell’s mother-in-law died, Peggy McEwen’s father died, and Linda Kirk’s father died. These wonderful Christian ladies are all part of our Bible study group. I am so thankful that I had prayed for them even before they experienced these losses. I know God was with them through this and will continue to be there. I pray with confidence that they will feel His presence and that His presence will shine through them for others to see.
My prayer for anyone reading this is that you will open your heart, soul, and mind to the presence of God in your life. Let Him guide you every minute of your day. You have the creator of the universe with you! How awesome and powerful is that!