My prayer garden

October 5, 2006

By Ruth Ferrara

I’ve always liked gardening. It is fun to get your hands in the soil to dig and plant and watch things grow. I plant and God, the Master Gardener, gives His blessing.

I think that’s how God felt the day He created and planted the first garden. He took dust out of the ground and formed man — He made both male and female and He breathed life into them. God gave them the power to think, feel, discern, love and fellowship with Him. He put Adam and Eve in His beautiful Garden of Eden.

“And the Lord God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it” (Genesis 2:15, KJV). “God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day” (Genesis 1:31).

A garden to me is a gift from God. It brings me great joy and pleasure.

Many things about gardening I learned at an early age from my father. The one thing that stuck with me the most is not to disturb new seedlings, for they must take good roots to become vigorous plants, to become fully established. Well, it came to my mind one day that when I would give God a request and then I would take it back again, God never had a chance to have His way with it.

That’s when I started planting my prayers in a prayer garden where they can develop in God’s hands and in His will.

We can hold fast to God’s Word in faith believing that all we have or all we have need of is in His hands, and He will do a good work through the Holy Spirit.

“He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him” (2 Timothy 1:12). That is a promise from God!

“Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16). Prayer is an open line to heaven.

“Sow to yourselves in righteousness, reap in mercy; break up your fallow ground: for it is time to seek the Lord, till he come and rain righteousness upon you” (Hosea 10:12).

I see my prayer garden through the eyes of my heart. Why not try picturing your own garden with your heart and soul?

Ruth Ferrara was born in Munich, Germany. She and her husband, Andy, have been married 53 years. Ruth is a member of Webster (N.Y.) Assembly of God. (Daniel Grossglass, Pastor.)