Year of Prayer
God gives each of us unique gifts, but a perfect grasp of English is not one He gave me. As a dyslexic reader, I often skip words in the Bible that don’t sound right (or that I misread entirely). Not long ago, while reading through Deuteronomy, I came across the word “frontlets.” I’ve read Deuteronomy before; did I just skip over that word every other time?
Reading Deuteronomy 6:8, I assumed that word meant “think about this all the time,” almost like writing something on the back of your eyelids. Collins Dictionary defines “frontlets” as “signs or remembrances bound between the eyes.”
Early in history, that word seemed to mean keeping a thought at the forefront of your mind. Later, Jewish tradition turned this into a literal practice. They wrote down scriptures, placed them in small boxes called phylacteries (or tefillin), and secured them with straps around their foreheads.
Regardless of the human tendency to turn internal devotion into an external show, the core lesson in Deuteronomy 6 remains powerful today. In verse 9, Moses continued: “You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates.”
When Moses wanted the people to remember the commands of the Lord, he told them to keep those commands in front of them at all times. Today, we want to work on our memory, hopefully more like Moses intended and less like the showy traditions of later eras. Specifically, we want to remember to pray intentionally.
On September 6, we launched a new focus at Northside. We placed large banners in the front of the auditorium and distributed refrigerator magnets and stickers. These are our “frontlets,” “doorposts,” and “gates.”
For the next year, we will focus on one specific prayer topic each month. This doesn’t mean it’s the only thing you can pray about, nor does it mean you should stop praying about it when the month ends. It simply means we are asking you to include that month’s topic in your prayers.
In addition to these shared topics, we are asking you to keep a prayer journal. Simply jot down the date and what you’re praying for. Over time, as you review your notes and see how God has answered those requests, I believe your prayer life and faith will grow.