“Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world.” Psalm 46:10
“But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.” Matthew 6:6
Corey loved his nighttime runs. After a hard day at work, it was his time to relax. People find many different ways to relax. For Corey, it was running. Rain, or shine. Sleet or snow. Corey always ran. He usually ran about three to five miles, depending on how he felt. He got off of work at 4:30, and was usually home by 5:30, and hitting the streets running by 6:00. Everyday.
With running everyday, Corey really came to appreciate the changing of the seasons. Whether it be the freshness of spring, the long hot days of summer, the cool crisp days of fall, and even the cold, and somewhat challenging days of winter, Corey appreciated it all.
The main reason Corey loved his runs so much is that it was his time alone with God. This is when he would have his prayer time. Actually, how far he ran each night usually depended on how much he had to pray about. The more he had to pray about, the farther he ran. Thank goodness for Zoom meetings. More than a few times he participated in church meetings, from his phone, right at the end of his run.
Praying during his run was Corey’s regular routine. There were some times though, when his schedule would not permit him to run on a particular day. When this happened, he would usually end up not praying at all on that day, and wow, could he ever feel the difference.
God wants us to spend time with him in prayer. The Apostle Paul, in 1 Thessalonians 5:17 says, “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” To pray without ceasing means, to maintain a constant attitude of prayer, meaning that you are constantly aware of God, and willing to communicate with him throughout your day.
Like Corey, we should find time each day to spend alone with God. Sometimes, in the fast-paced world that we live in, that can be difficult to do, but like it says in Psalm 46:10, “Be still and know that I am God!”