pray more

(Psalm 63)

“When we fall in love, we want to spend time with the object of our affection and willingly give our attention to the relationship. Falling in love with Jesus should be no different, but believers often hasten through Bible reading and prayer. The result is a superficial faith kept alive by habit rather than worship. To attain lasting intimacy, we must approach God with a sense of purpose and determination.

Purpose-‘Now set your heart and your soul to seek the LORD your God,’ King David advised the leaders of Israel. (1 Chronicles 22:19) Believers must choose whether to pursue God or chase after idols. If we desire intimacy with Him, it is necessary for us to approach the spiritual disciplines purposefully. Before opening Scripture, ask the Lord what He wants to say to you. Pray to understand His ways-He loves answering that plea. And enter church with the intention of taking home a new truth from the Lord.

Determination—‘Indeed, my spirit within me seeks you diligently,’ Isaiah told Yahweh. (Isaiah 26:9) But even when we do not feel like putting time into our relationship with Christ, we must determine to do so. A revelation from God will not come every day, but a believer need not despair. Those who diligently seek the Savior experience His presence frequently in their worship.

Getting to know Jesus brings pure joy into a believer’s life. However, we must be willing to offer Him prime time,not our leftover minutes. God gives us His best; we should put forth no less in return.”

(This is from the devotional section of ‘In Touch’ magazine; the October 2005 edition:)

but I don’t want to remove it from my list. I like the reminder that 43things provides for me.

“Prayer is not a substitute of work, thinking, watching, suffering, or giving; prayer is a support for all other efforts.”
—George A. Buttrick

“The end of all things is near. Therefore be clear minded and self-controlled so that you can pray.”
—1 Peter 4:7

The 6th night of our Bible study is a time for personal reflection. Thought I’d share one of the questions with you. How would you answer it for yourself?

How would you answer Jesus’ question, “Why do you call me ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I tell you?”

It was a little bit confusing though. It said “prayer is not an option.” It wasn’t until I read a little further that I realized what it was really saying. And I agree, prayer is not an ‘option’ in today’s world. Prayer is a ‘must’.

For the last two days, I have coupled my prayer time with my Bible study time. I’ve been praying before I study, that way I can also ask God to give me insight on what I’m studying in His word. I like this approach (the first day I felt an amazing calmness during my prayer time), and I want to keep it up!

I’ve found that it’s been much easier for me to read my Bible daily then it has been to cultivate a more meaningful prayer life. I think that this is just an extension of my personality; I’m not a ‘talker’. I do pray throughout the day whenever I feel prompted to for whatever reason, but it’s usually quick prayers. For a while I found success in my prayer journal, but I’ve even been letting that slide. Maybe I need to couple my Bible reading with my prayer time? I want to spend quality time in prayer with God, and there’s probably no other way besides just buckling down and making myself do it.

There are so many things that we need to pray about. Sometimes it is hard to know where to begin, and then it’s hard to remember everything that we need to pray about. I’m thankful that God remembers everything, even when we forget!

I’ve found that one thing that helps me is to keep a prayer journal. Instead of just saying a prayer, I write it down. This helps me to focus on what it is I’m saying (so that my mind doesn’t start to wander). I can also express myself more fully when I write. Not that every prayer has to be written down in the journal; the great thing about prayer is that God hears you wherever, whenever, whatever you’re doing:) This has been a helpful tool for me!