Sometimes there is so little time for prayer in my life,” I said to a woman at a conference, “for taking moments to be in God’s Presence.”
“Do you read the newspaper?” she asked.
I nodded, wondering what the newspaper had to do with it.
“Each morning I carry out a spiritual exercise with the paper,” she said. “Not only does it save time, but it enriches my prayer life and my reading.”
She began on the front page, praying for each event. “Sometimes my heart is torn by all the tragedy, and I feel God hurting along with me for all His children. But there is also some good news, and I try to praise God and thank Him for each occurrence.”
The local news was where she listened for any prompting God might give her—writing a letter about a council vote or bringing clothes to a needy family. At the announcements, she prayed for each marriage, each baby. At the obituaries, she prayed for the families of those who had died.
Over the comic strips, she opened herself to God’s healing through laughter and found God present in her joy. “Do you think your prayers have made much difference in the world?” I asked.
“Oh yes,” she said, “but it begins with me.”
