Prayer is something that is often forgotten or overlooked in today’s christian world. I can tell you that there have been many times where I just don’t feel like praying. Whether it be because I think I’m not getting results or because I would rather do other things with my time. One night last week I came home from work and I had a very strenuous day so all I wanted to do was to just kick back and watch some football. Just kinda wanted to unwind from the day. After about 20 minutes my wife asked me if I wanted to turn off the TV so we both could read and pray. I really just wanted to chill and set mindlessly in front of the TV for a couple of hours, I didn’t feel like reading or praying. But my wife said something that really stuck with me. She said, “If you have had such a hard day that you are mentally and physically drained, shouldn’t you want to read and pray more than ever to refresh yourself. Instead you are setting in front of a TV that’s not beneficial.” She was exactly right, He is where i draw my strength and I will not get it from anywhere else.
So what is it that stops us from praying, some would say it’s the devil and that can be true. But most of the time it’s not the devil. It’s ourselves, we cause the distractions. For instance Friday i went and bought a new TV, 40 inch LED smart TV. I love it, but you know what? All i did was buy another distraction, a 40 inch distraction. Don’t get me wrong we all like to buy things. We all need our own personal things, but sometimes we overload ourselves with toys and never give ourselves the opportunity to unload ourselves in prayer. I’m not telling you that watching TV is bad, because i watch it too. I’m just saying that we need to watch out for those distractions that try to prevent us from our personal time with God.
It’s not only distractions that keep us from prayer, it’s ourselves. There have been numerous times that i have talked myself out of praying with the all to familiar conversation with yourself about how you don’t feel like it. Or you would rather be doing something else because you feel like your wasting time just because you’re not seeing results immediately. Or maybe your new to the whole christian life and you think praying is weird, thinking that you could really be talking to God. But that’s the beauty of it, you can talk to God. See when Jesus died for our sins on the cross His blood paid the price for us, which means that when we accept what He did for us we get the privilege to be able to commune with God. As an unworthy man, made worthy through the redemptive plan of Christ.
If you are new to the praying thing it will most likely be uncomfortable and awkward for you at first. But if you will make the effort to set a couple of times out in the day to be by yourself and just take the time to focus on him. It will pay off and it wont be weird for you. It will become like second nature to you, because you will be talking to your loving Father, and not just some far off angry god. (see Matt. 7:7-11 at the bottom of the text)
“but I always run out of things to say.” praying isn’t always about asking for stuff. Sometimes prayer can just be thanking God. Thanking Him for your salvation, or your health, your family and friends, etc. Praying can also be just talking to God about your day, what you did or didn’t do. Prayer will become more real to us if we pray to God like a father and talk to Him with thanksgiving and love, instead of only praying when we sinned or when we need something from Him.
If you are new to prayer i suggested that you read the following scriptures daily, I believe that i will help you with your prayer life.
- Ephesians 1:15-23 “Therefore I also, hearing of your faith in the Lord Jesus and love to all the saints, do not cease giving thanks for you, making mention of you in my prayers, that the God of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of glory, may give to you the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of Him, the eyes of your understanding being enlightened, that you may know what is the hope of His calling, and what is the riches of the glory of His inheritance in the saints, and what is the surpassing greatness of His power toward us, the ones believing according to the working of His mighty strength which He worked in Christ in raising Him from the dead, and He seated Him at His right hand in the heavenlies, far above all principality and authority and power and dominion, and every name being named, not only in this world, but also in the coming age. And He has put all things under His feet and gave Him to be Head over all things to the church, which is His body, the fullness of Him who fills all in all.”
- Ephesians 3:14-21“For this cause I bow my knees to the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, of whom the whole family in Heaven and earth is named, that He would grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with might by His Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in your hearts by faith; that you, being rooted and grounded in love, may be able to comprehend with all saints what is the breadth and length and depth and height, and to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge, that you might be filled with all the fullness of God. Now to Him who is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that works in us, to Him be glory in the church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, forever. Amen.”
- Proverbs 3:5-6 “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not to your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
- Matthew 7:7-11 “Ask and it shall be given to you; seek and you shall find; knock and it shall be opened to you. For each one who asks receives; and he who seeks finds; and to him who knocks, it shall be opened. Or what man is there of you, if his son asks a loaf, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks a fish, will he give him a snake? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more shall your Father in Heaven give good things to those who ask Him?”
So I Just encourage you this week just try to take some extra time and spend it with God. Just go somewhere private and just thank God for what you have, thank God for you salvation, health, and the people in life. Don’t put a time limit on it. if you were talking to someone who you really care about, and you were telling them all about how you love them and how much you appreciate all they have done for you. Then you look down at your watch and say. “Well that’s my five minutes, sorry…” or you Phone rings “Sorry i got to take this, it’s more important.” Just put your phone on silent and don’t look at the time. Just give God your undivided attention and He will listen.
My CrossWalk 