Thursday, February 02, 2006


Thirteen Things about NORMA'S Prayer Job Jar

1. The jar is real, physical, clear glass and has a lid.

2. Originally the jar held bubble bath, had a pink ribbon around the lid, and was most likely a birthday gift when I was a teen.

3. When my children were small, this jar was our cookie jar.

4. It sits on the kitchen table, catching the sun’s rays (or the Son’s).

5. We pray one or two items from the jar each evening before dinner. Recently we’ve added Stephen Harper, Canada’s new PM, because we think he has a really big job, being a Conservative in such a liberal country.

6. Most often the prayer request is actually someone looking for a job, i.e., employment or career, so it really is a “prayer job jar.”

7. Sometimes the prayer is about God’s job--to bring someone to saving faith.

8. Sometimes the prayer is general, sometimes specific--it’s every Christian’s job to pray even if we don’t understand how or why. In fact, I think it is a command.

9. Although I haven’t kept a record, most job (career) prayers have been answered to the satisfaction of the job seeker.

10. Marriage solutions are another kettle of fish and loaves. A personality transplant? A memory freeze? Get that other woman a job transfer to Alaska? Maybe we should just cut to the chase and ask God for a miracle instead of a reconciliation or resolution?

11. Because of our age and the ages of our friends and family, health issues are frequently in the prayer job jar. This usually has to be a partnership between God and the unhealthy--it’s asking a lot of God to heal if a cancer or COPD patient won’t give up smoking or an arthritic or diabetic won’t lose weight. I mean, God does allow some free will here, and bad habits he may leave up to the person while he attends to someone a bit more willing to change.

12. The prayer job jar has made our prayer time much more interesting and meaningful for us, and probably for God, who I imagine gets a little bored with the rote stuff. . . "We thank you Lord for Jesus Christ/ and for the blood he shed/ we thank you for his risen life/ and for our daily bread."

13. Here’s a photo of the jar, cropped from another picture. Looks like just one or two pieces of paper, but I think it is a list.

Links to other Thursday Thirteens!
1. D. Challener 2. KDubs 3. Joan 4. Lazy Daisy 5. Uisce 6. Mar 7. Courtney 8. Jane 9. Colleen 10. Yellow Rose 11. Karen 12. Kelly 13. D. 14. Leslie 15. Killired 16. Nancy 17. Jen 18. Better safe 19. Stacie 20. Renee 21. Susie 22. Joe Norman 23. Barbara 24. MamaB 25. Emily 26. JK 27. Kimmy and Jacob


Get the Thursday Thirteen code here!

The purpose of the meme is to get to know everyone who participates a little bit better every Thursday. Visiting fellow Thirteeners is encouraged! If you participate, leave the link to your Thirteen in others comments. I will link to everyone who participates and leaves a link to their 13 things. Trackbacks, pings, comment links accepted!



28 comments:

Dale Challener Roe said...

Very sweet 13.

My 13: http://www.dcroe.com/blog.html

Joan said...

The jar is a great idea, Norma. You are right -- I consider it a command as well that we pray for one another and the needs of the world.

My 13 are up.

BTW, I finally did the Questions for Jesus meme you tagged me with.

Lazy Daisy said...

Wow, totally loved the post and the ideas expressed! Thanks for your visit....same time next Thursday?

Uisce said...

Bubble bath, cookies... I'm glad to know this jar has found a higher purpose! My 13 are up!

Anonymous said...

Glad you have that jar. Great list! My TT is up!

Courtney said...

How nice! Thanks for sharing!

My 13 are up
http://snaphappymom.blogspot.com

Jane said...

What a beautiful list. What a great idea. I would love for you to add my husband and I to your jar. We need prayer for our knees. We have a lot of pain. Thanks.

My list is up too.

Anonymous said...

What a GREAT idea. Instead of worrying about others, put that worry into action...pray about it. Hmmm...

My 13 are up.

YellowRose said...

Love this idea...may have to borrow it! Thanks for visiting my garden earlier...sorry you had difficulty viewing it...I think it maybe the code for TT. Not sure, but it seems that is when some have problems. I'm working on it!

Thanks though for stopping by!

Anonymous said...

What a great way to teach our kids the importance of keeping others in our prayers. Thanks for the GREAT idea!

I especially love how this jar has been "recycled" through the ages. It attaches that much more meaning to it.

Mine are up.

Kelly said...

Great TT!

Happy Thursday!
Mine are up.
Diary of the Nello

Just D said...

oh lovely! I so want to start this now! It's so simple but so powerful! thanks for sharing... my 13 are up too.

Leslie said...

That is beautiful, what a great idea!

Thanks for stopping by again. My TT are up too.

Jennifer said...

nice list!!!!

mine are up too!
Killired: Thursday 13

Anonymous said...

That is a great idea.

I'm UP!

Jen said...

That's a neat idea!

Thanks for stopping by my 13, I'll go link you up!

Nature Girl said...

That's wonderful! What a nice idea! Mine are up too..(thanks for visiting) Stacie

Renee Nefe said...

Nice list and I agree on the free will part. I usually pray for God's will in such cases.

my 13 are up fefyfomanna: 13 number 13's for Thursday 13

Anonymous said...

Norma, I love your prayer jar idea. I may just start that in my own house. God bless you and your family. :)

My Thursday Thirteen list is up if you'd like to drop by.

Unknown said...

What a great idea! I might start something similar for my son and I to do together. I just finished my Thursday Thirteen list, so please add me to your list. ~ JoesJots

Anonymous said...

Great idea Norma. I would like to do something similar in my home.


My TT are up!

Unknown said...

Sounds like the jar gets a lot of use! Trying to Catch Up: Thursday 13

Fern Bourrie said...

That is such a great idea! I may have to get a prayer jar going.

Anonymous said...

Great idea! And it can bring the family together and pray together too! Hmmm... Let me see if we can have that too!

I need a prayer job because I'm about to graduate in April and I'm still not sure were to work. :)

Happy weekend. :)

Kimmy said...

I love the Prayer Jar! Prayer is what gets me through everyday. I don't like it when people say, "I wish there was something I could do for you/to help you?)? All I can do is pray." Is there anything better?
Add my mom to your prayer jar! I have a few posts about her surgery/recovery.

I just visited a site where you said "You can change the date and time (of the post)"...how do you do that?

My 13 are up!...late!

Terrell said...

Great idea, Norma. Thanks for visiting the loyal opposition (politically speaking) occasionally and when disagreeing, being agreeable about it!

Natalie said...

What a neat idea! It reminds me of "family time" at church. We pass in prayer requests & one of the elders reads them before we pray about each one. I think I will do something like this with my children.

Lena said...

You are right. Prayer is a command. "You MUST pray then this way." The Bible also says to "call out to God and He will hear your prayers."

Your prayer jar is a wonderful way to make your prayers meaningful, like you said. I always try not to say the same thing, like some rote. It's funny that many people repeat the same thing for generations over and over! They must not have read the entire chapter in Matthew where Jesus refers to it as a MODEL prayer.

Great list Norma! Here's mine.

http://cheekylotus.blogspot.com/2006/02/thursday-thirteen-its-my-first-timebe.html