My personal Dr. Phyl is an amazing woman, who connected me to Mark Batterson's books on prayer, "The Circle Maker" and "Draw The Circle". Mark's view into the theology and traditions of prayer are encouraging and downright humbling, yet give a perspective on the on-going and eternal consequences of prayer that is compelling. This week, the power thought came right out of Scripture- where Daniel in chapter 9, verse 20, is "speaking and praying, confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel and making my request to the Lord my God for His holy hill (Jerusalem)" when the archangel Gabriel shows up and says in verse 23, "As soon as you began to pray, an answer was given, which I have come to tell you, for you are highly esteemed..." NIV 1984 translation

An answer was given at the moment Daniel began to pray- how cool is that : ) I wish I could get my heart around that because it would explode my faith and allow me to embrace the mystery of God's answers may not be my answers, but they are the best answers.

Here's my "note to self" this week - PRAY FIRST AND AT THAT MOMENT AN ANSWER IS GIVEN.