I read the sentence in my book, The Kneeling Christian, and it seemed to jump off the page and wave its arms in front of me to be sure it had gotten my attention. It had. The sentence read,
Perhaps we would criticize less if we prayed more.
I couldn’t get that quote out of my mind, nor did I want to because my thoughts tend towards criticism. Like:
Why don’t they paint that fence?
Who would want a barking dog?
Why is the service at this place so slow?
Why is the driver in front of me stopping at a green light?!
On and on I go with my list of logically critical thoughts and words, until that quote entered my heart.
Now I’m asking the Lord to help me turn that critical statement into a prayer:
“Father, I don’t know what is going on in that car of front of me, but if they’re having trouble seeing, give them strength and safety. Help me to treat them the way I would want to be treated.”
“Maybe the waitress of my table has lots of people to wait on. Lord, help me to show her your love.”
On through the day I go, turning my ugly, judgmental thoughts into prayers. And you know what? It is changing me! It gets my focus off of myself and on to others. It keeps my heart tender instead of harsh and demanding. It gives me compassion rather than condescension. And the best part, it keeps me in close communion with my heavenly Father.
I challenge you to try it – turn your criticism around and make it a prayer. See what happens to your heart and your day!
With a prayer,
Denise
RefreshHer 
A quote that I saw convicted me Denise…Have you prayed about it as much as you have talked about it? Guilty as charged!! So glad we have a God who loves us in spite of ourselves.
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Oh, that IS good. Thanks for sharing.
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I have a similar quote to what Arlene shared in my prayer journal. I have pages for every character flaw/sin issue I’ve identified in my life (so far!) and verses and helpful quotes to encourage change in these areas. I have a page for the tendency to be critical. On this page I have asked myself this question: “Do I spend more time talking about needs in the lives of others than I do in fervent, intercessory prayer on their behalf?”
I really liked your idea of praying as the need arises — when another driver is inattentive, when service is slow or a barking dog annoys us. Excellent suggestion. Thanks so much for this post.
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Wow, having a page for character flaws with corresponding verses and quotes is a great idea! Thank you for sharing!
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You are most welcome! I have found this incredibly helpful in praying about character flaws. I pray about one of these areas each day and it helps so much to keep them on my radar screen, plus the encouraging verses are right there to think about as I pray. Glad you found the idea useful!
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