I use GPS wherever I go and it serves me well most of the time. However, sometimes it leads me to a place that does not exist. Then there are those times when I am about to turn and the man inside my phone shouts out, “GPS signal lost” or “Rerouting!” The problem is when the area is unfamiliar to me, I have no choice but to listen. I could try to get where I am going by simple intuition or pulling over to look at a paper map, but I don’t trust my sense of direction and haven’t bought a paper map in close to a decade.
Many people move through life without any direction. They find themselves constantly rerouting and wondering when they will ever get to a satisfying final destination. What they need is a compass and a companion for the journey, yet they have no idea how to get either.
Prayer can serve as a compass and it connects us to a companion for the journey. Stewardship living is impossible without prayer. If we count on our own will and believe we can become fruitful without daily contact with the divine, we can find ourselves looking for directions more than moving toward a destination. God through prayer will help us see all we have as gift. God through prayer will lead us away from materialism and selfishness toward freedom and generosity. Even when we fall to sin, the path back is clearer. God’s GPS signal is never really lost.
-Tracy Earl Welliver, MTS