Mundane or Monumental?

This year, we moved and took on a “fixer upper” in probably one of the busiest seasons of our lives. It has been a hard yet rewarding journey of which we are still trudging through the labor ourselves on top of our regular daily demands. In nearly everything I uncover, I’m reminded of the seriousness of neglecting regular home maintenance. We have siding that woodpeckers have made to look like Swiss cheese and water leaks that literally looked like a rainfall in my breakfast nook and living room. Dated décor is on a completely different level. I’m pretty sure there is not one thing in this house that could go untouched in terms of needing attention. While I’m young of full of life (that what everyone tells me and I don’t agree but it sounds good here), my husband and I can fix these things.

Over the last few months, I have been asking God to renew my prayer time and to break me where I need to be broken. I have an early morning routine of coffee and time spent with the Lord but it has been waning. I’ve been praying through the things off the top of my head that I need to pray for but have neglected using my prayer journal. I neglected it for some time and then felt like it was too impersonal to go off a checked list--too routine, too mundane. Yet, I knew I needed to pick it back up but wanted wisdom on how to make it better. So, I told the Lord my prayer time stinks and I needed help (He already knew but I’m sure He was glad to see I was admitting it).

Then our pastor (who is so amazing and I get to sleep with him!) began a series of preaching on prayer. I’m slow, and it didn’t occur to me the Lord was answering my prayer on prayer. Yet, in the sweet patience of the Lord, He’s been speaking. Last Sunday morning and Sunday night, James pointed out how God moved during regular hours of prayer, i.e., during the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd hours of prayer (9am, noon, and 3pm). This is New Testament not only Old. For instance, Pentecost (Acts 2:15), Peter’s vision about the Gentiles (Acts 10:0), and Cornelius’ Vision (Acts 10:1-3). Then, in my quiet time I noticed John had his vision on the Book of Revelation on the Lord’s Day, another ordinary time set aside for God.

Why have we believed the lie that ordinary and routine are mundane? I believe we all think that routine with the Lord seems insincere if its scheduled, but don’t you plan to meet and set aside time for the people you really love? You do. I do. I have returned to my ordinary prayer journal and check list of daily prayer for my family and friends now with a new excitement knowing it is not mundane. In faithfulness like Daniel, I will seek the Lord in this and wait for the monumental while enjoying the sweet presence of the Lord.

There is nothing insincere about setting aside time for the Lord and praying at set times. I am challenged with praying like Daniel and like the New Testament believers who sought the Lord and prayed also at 9am, noon, and 3pm. I am also challenged with setting aside time for the Lord on the Lord’s Day like John which was very much a part of New Testament living. It excites me to know during these times the Lord does move and brings monumental moments not mundane.

So, dear friend, as you shouldn’t neglect your home and let it rot, don’t neglect your spiritual life and let it rot. Take the maintenance of your spiritual life and your appointments with God serious and watch it become monumental!