Nothing will help us more in our efforts to persevere than prayer. Prayer, after all, is what nurtures and sustains our relationship with God. In the book of 1 Thessalonians, the apostle Paul tells us:
" Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you."1 Thess. 5:16-18
The question is, how do we do this? Most of us feel our prayer life could be better, should be better, but we don't know how to incorporate it into our busy lives. Here are some suggestions:
*Build prayer into your daily routine. If you are able to have a quiet time in the morning, that's great. If that time of day doesn't work, set aside time at lunch or in the evening. Find what works for you.
*Use certain cues to remind you to pray. If you pray before meals, you're already doing this! You can do this with other cues as well. My pastor once suggested that taking a shower should remind us to give thanks for our baptism. Hearing a siren might be a reminder to pray for the person who is experiencing an emergency. Driving to work could be a time to pray for our co-workers. You get the idea.
*Make Bible reading a time of prayer by using pausing to meditate on a verse or even a word that stands out for you.
*Join a prayer team, a prayer group, or find a prayer partner. Praying with others helps us to develop in our prayer life, and it's a great way to be held accountable.
There is no right or wrong time to pray, or way to pray. God is always near. Make speaking to Him a habit.
"Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. You will seek me and find me, when you seek me with all your heart." Jeremiah 29:12-13
For more about prayer see these posts:
Luther's Small Catechism on the Lord's Prayer, Part 2
Lots of Prayer
A Praying Church by Paul E. Miller– Book Review
No comments:
Post a Comment