Inspired by my wife and with a little “push” by my good friend “D-Rich”, I recently started running jogging. Don’t tell either of them, but I am secretly enjoying it. My knees are not enjoying it nearly as much as my mind though. Anyone that has run knows that so much of the battle is mental. It’s pushing yourself to another goal and beyond what you perceive as pain. It’s digging in deep to find something that will carry you the next mile. I recently discovered something that really helps… prayer.

I have been amazed at how quickly that next goal approaches when I take the focus off of myself, my pain, my lack of energy and focus on that prayer list in my mind. It’s the list of people I have said “I’ll be praying for you” and quickly forgot to keep my word. It has been amazing to see how those names quickly come to mind as I am, if nothing else, just speaking their name. God knows their need. He doesn’t need me to go on and on and on about the request.

There is one request I would like to extend to anyone and everyone that reads this blog. Many of you follow the journey of my good friend Stefan Tarapchak. If you think of it today, would you mind praying for Stefan and his family? I will admit that there are times that I don’t know what to pray. I don’t have the answers or the words to pray. I don’t know what to say, but I know who hears our requests. As Casting Crowns sings:

You don’t need the answers
to all of life’s questions
Just know that he loves them
Stay by their side

How about you? How can I pray for you today? Is there someone or something on your heart that I can join with you in praying for?