It’s a small conjunction that can have enormous impact on your life. Everyone loves it when you can have your cake AND eat it too. Isn’t that way better than having a cake but not getting to eat any of it? For God followers, AND takes on an added power.
Look at this verse:
We prayed to our God AND posted a guard day and night to meet this threat.
Of course Christians would never say, “We posted a guard but didn’t pray to God.”
But far too often Christians live this way: “We prayed to God but didn’t post a guard.”
Sometimes God provides supernaturally, and sometimes God provides through our efforts. In either case, God is still the provider. How sad that we often limit what God can do because we replace AND with but.
How about this instead…
- Pray to God for healing AND see a doctor.
- Pray to God for provision AND get a job.
- Pray to God for a successful marriage AND learn to love your spouse better.
- Pray to God for your church to grow AND invite your neighbor to a service.
- Pray to God to protect your kids AND stay involved in their lives.
- Pray to God to strengthen you against temptation AND get an accountability partner.
Start with prayer, then add AND.
Where will you add AND to your prayers today?
Craig T. Owens 