Time for a confession. My prayer life can be absolutely pathetic. Truthfully, it was never anything great but at least I use to have one. Then I got married and it became difficult. Add a few kids and most days it has felt impossible.
Spending time in the Word is not an issue. Meditating on and memorizing Scripture – that’s doable. Listening to Bible teachers – I enjoy that. Talking about God and teaching about God – love it! Talking TO God – sometimes I dread it. It is such a struggle right now.
I was talking to Bry about this awhile ago and we both came to the conclusion that we really don’t know how to pray. Now, yes we do pray together 5 days a week before Bry starts work and the kids are awake. We pray at mealtimes and with our children. But when it comes to spending quality and quantity of time in prayer – nope.
I recently read a quote that talked about prayer as a “gift” and it was an extremely convicting article I must say. I don’t know about anyone else but I don’t look at prayer as a gift. A chore, a discipline that needs to be cultivated, a task to do, another thing to add to my already full days that takes away from what I really want to do.
But prayer – a gift??? I wish I saw it that way.
So, I have begun to pray and ask the Holy Spirit to open my eyes so that I do see prayer as a gift. And to not only teach me how to pray but to persevere in prayer. And then I started praying again. Making sure I take some time each day just to meet with God. I try not to ask Him for anything or have any expectations other than I just want to actually be in God’s presence. I just want to meet with Him and see His face.
It’s not easy, and at this point I wouldn’t even say it’s amazing. I don’t feel like Moses on Mt. Sinai with God’s presence all around him, but I am doing it.
So, let me ask you. Do you pray? Do you actually see prayer as a life-line that you couldn’t exist without? Or do you see it simply as a chore, a discipline to be cultivated, a task to do? Would you join with me in asking the Holy Spirit to open your eyes to the gift of prayer? Would you join with me in asking the Creator of the Universe to teach you how to pray and to persevere?
Do you pray?