I'm sitting here in my new chair given to me by my awesome husband and kids for Mother's Day.  It's my prayer chair.  I have some guilt sitting here in this chair as I pray. It's way too comfy. I've dozed off while praying a few times.  I'd had the idea of having a prayer chair in our bedroom for some time now.  I wanted a quiet place with little distraction.

For some odd reason, besides taking me to a nap, my chair has taken me to the story of Moses.

And my friends, after some thinking, I decided in this post you are Moses.  Sometimes I'm Moses too.  Let me try and explain.

Moses, as we read in Exodus, just keeps trudging on.  I feel for him ,as I witness through scripture, the irritating cycle.  The Israelites complain.  Moses goes before God on their behalf.  God listens.  God acts.  They complain again.  I know Moses is tired of heart.  Do you ever get that way?  I pray for one of my children; that they would be more kind, behave less selfishly.  I know God listens to my prayer.  I know God acts.  But then I see them acting the same way.  Aren't we over this yet (I think to myself)?  Add to that, pure physical exhaustion and my prayer probably sounds more like a rant if I'm even praying at all.

I'm pretty sure you can identify with Moses at times as well. Do you ever feel you've prayed enough for a certain person or certain situation- lifted them up to the point that you are completely worn out. And are there even times you feel like you don't even want to hear yourself pray, maybe because you know you're living short of the perfect mark yourself?

Halfway through chapter 17 in Exodus, Moses is standing on a hilltop with the staff of God in his hands.  The Amalekites have attacked the Israelites and they're in need of intercession once again.  As long as Moses has his hands lifted, the Israelites were winning- THE PRESSURE!

So in thinking of yourself as Moses, this is where I come in. When Aaron and Hur, his partners in ministry, saw he could no longer go it alone-they put a stone under him for him to sit.  It then says, and I love this, "When his hands grew tired....Aaron and Hur held his hands up".

I would like to be your Aaron; or your Hur.  And I'd like for you to be my Aaron or Hur.

I can dutifully pray daily.

But I know that there are times when I'm distracted.

There are times when I'm exhausted.

And shamefully there are times when my faith is low.

Now let's get back to my new chair.  I had a thought.  You've heard of a armchair quarterback no doubt; someone who offers advice without really being in the game. No, I don't want to be your armchair quarterback. I know that no advice I could give would compare to my simply cheering and encouraging you- at times by your side; other times through prayer.

I want to be your armchair cheerleader.  And as a cheerleader calls out to the crowd on behalf of the players, I want to call out to God on your behalf.

After all, it's the only kind of cheerleader I could ever be.  I've lost any flexibility I had and I've never been too coordinated.  I can, however, cheer you on.  I can pray on your behalf when you're tired or frustrated or even when it's a matter important enough to be doubly prayed for.  And I would ask the same of you.  In those times when my prayers sound stale or maybe not so heartfelt, I would ask that you be my armchair cheerleader too.

My email- kristiburden@gmail.com