The Game With Minutes

Make your life a prayer.  1 Thessalonians 5:17 TPT

Most of us know today’s verse as “pray without ceasing”. But The Passion Translation better describes today’s devotion and the people in it. Frank Laubach on January 30, 1930 began a prayer excperiment he called “the game with minutes.” He began this quest, because he felt a lack of intimacy with God and he was going to do something about it. He read about Brother Lawrence who was a monk in the seventeenth-century. His single purpose in life was to live in the presence of God. Now I know most of you are thinking, “I do to, but I have to work and take care of my family.” Point noted, but so did Brother Lawrence and although a Monk, the monestary had a daily routine and he also worked in the monestary kitchen. For him praying without ceasing meant redeeming even the most insignificant daily routine in the day into a prayer. So every dish that was washed, every meal that was prepared and chore that was done became a prayer. As the years went by he began to see that being in the presence of God, turned prayer into a way of life. He once said, “The time of business does not with me differ from the time of prayer; and in the noise and clatter of my kitchen while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess God as a great tranquility as if I were upon my knees at the blessed sacrament.” So with the example of Brother Lawrence and a consuming question of “Can we have contact with God all the time?” He began his prayer experiment making it his life quest to  find the answer.

In explaining his “Game of Minutes” he said; “We try to call Him to mind at least one second of each minute. We do not need to forget other things nor stop our work, but we invite Him to share everything we do, say or think. Hundreds of us have experimented until we have found ways to let Him share every minute of our waking hours.”  We know how to pray for the big things because they are usually our problems or dreams that without God they won’t happen. But something happens when we become aware that God is a part of our entire life, especially the small mundane things that are rountine, yet neccessary. But then something happens we begin to see we’re not only finding we’re not only praying for things in this life, but our prayers have become our life.  After reading about the “Game of Minutes” I realized last year I was telling eveyone to do this, by telling them whenever they would worry or become fearful because of what they were hearing or reading they should pray. I told them to just start praying what you’re worried or fearful about and then begin to pray for other things and thank Him for all He has done. Many told me before they knew it, they weren’t thinking about why they started to pray, instead they were experiencing a calm and peace and not even thinking of why they had been worried or fearful. So many people told me how well this worked. We learned we can redeem our worries, cares, fears and anxieties for prayers of praise and thanksgiving, and experiencing calm and peace inside, instead of wasting them. And God has proven over and over through time that He lets nothing go to waste, not even the “not so good” things. Because He is the Redeemer of all! Give everything to Him and let Him redeem it into something greater than you ever thought it could.