Her voice was aging, but the strength in her spirit was heard each time she prayed the words, "My Soul Loves You Jesus". Over and over she would pray it... until she was lifted to a higher place, a holy place that was above her earthly petitions. Far beyond the worries that were holding her heart hostage for the day. Up to the heavenlies where she could commune with her Heavenly Father...
it was time to pour out her love on Him...
then listen to his voice, his direction.
It was time to commune with the King.
This is one of my fondest memories from my youth... and a prayer I remember to this day.
Let me give you some back-ground on my experiences at the pew... and alter.
From my earliest memories, we were in church no less than four times a week (Sunday School on Sunday morning, Sunday night Evangelistical Service Tuesday night Bible Study and Friday night Youth Service). Mom said I attended church when I was three days old.
Since my grandfather, Thomas Forsythe, was the head usher and unlocked the church doors, we (all the grandkids) were excited to 'go early' and get to practice before church started. So, when church started at 7:30 PM, we would be at the church at 6:00 PM.
We had no formal music teacher present, but the older would teach the younger during the week and we would gather to 'put it all together'.
During the week me and my cousins Marla and Nila (The Wellsburg Trio) would make sure we had the newest Rambos or Singing Goodman's album. There were more artist at that time, but I think we were almost unaware.
You see, this was before iTunes and You Tube. Seems almost a forgotten world now when you try to imagine. We did have radios and if you could 'tune in' to a Gospel station, we learned the wonderful trick of taping the songs as they played on-air. I think a few of us even called into the stations and requested songs so we could tape them... fun times! Treasure Island or Big Wheel (Yes, before Wal-Mart, K-Mart and Target!) would carry just a few Gospel albums and we were overjoyed when a new one arrived! We would learn every song on an album.
During the week, The Trio would practice (Acappella sitting outside or on rainy days, inside) each song we were learning. What a wonderful training we had... God gave us the gift of harmony, and we were so happy to blend it back to him!
Grandpa Forsythe also made sure we all had a musical instrument to learn for Jesus! When we got about six or seven years old he would ask, "What would you like to learn to play?" He loved music and had a passionate prayer for his grandkids to have talents for the Lord. God answered that prayer profoundly... Every one of the ten grandkids that were raised in church with him are singers or musicians today...or both. From praise and worship leaders/singers, musicians, record producers, choir leaders, soloist and more... God heard!
So being in church when the doors were open were a 'given'. No excuses. When you fell in love with Jesus you were faithful.
We learned to give God ALL! Our time, our talents and our hearts. HE deserved our best of everything!
The practice time was shut down at 7:00 PM for prayer. The prayer rooms were then open till church time...
This was the time I would enter into the ladies prayer room and here her pray, "My Soul Loves You Jesus". I moved me then and still moves me today...
This prayer came from my Pastor's wife, Sis. Gertrude Porter. Yes, there were many prayer warriors there... always faithful, always believing.
Those powerful prayers taught me so much. First, I loved feeling the power in the room! They sent their petitions up, thanked God for answering and then praised him for it all! I learned to do the same... just by listening and feeling their heartbeat.
So today, when I pray and pour out my heart, I too can say. "My Soul Loves You Jesus". When I do, I feel the surrender of me and feel his answer... "Child, I love you too!"
My sweet prayer warrior
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