When you first opened your eyes today… Did you think to pray?
When you turned on the coffee maker… Did you think to pray?
Before you started your car or opened your computer…. Did you think to pray?
How many minutes passed from the time that you awoke until the first moment you thought about God?
“Continue in Prayer, and Watch in the same with Thanksgiving;” Colossians 4:2
I certainly have room to grow in my prayer life.
I can be forgetful.
I can be robotic just going through the motions.
I can be so cold spiritually it feels like my prayers don’t get beyond the ceiling of the room.
What a shameful condition for a Pastor.
Can you relate to it?
The health of our prayer life is a good early indicator of the health of our entire spiritual walk with the Lord.
It’s like a pulse ox clipped to your finger that can tell you when your Body is in trouble because there isn’t enough oxygen.
When my priorities are out of order and God isn’t at the top of my list, then I will struggle to find time to pray.
When I’m engaging in sinful behavior and I don’t want to stop, then I will avoid praying because prayer is convicting and humbling.
When my heart is far from the Lord and I’m spiritually cold, my prayers feel empty because I am just going through the motions.
My encouragement to you today is to take a reading on your prayer life,
see where you stand,
and then look further to see what in your life is hindering your daily prayers so you can draw closer to LORD in a meaningful way.
He is Worthy of your Time, Attention and Affection.
Give IT to HIM in your Daily Prayers.
Today's Bible Reading
Philippians 4:4-9
4 Rejoice in the Lord alway:
and again I say, Rejoice.
5 Let your moderation be known unto all men.
The Lord is at hand.
6 Be careful for nothing;
but in every thing by prayer
and supplication with thanksgiving
let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding,
shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
8 Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true,
whatsoever things are honest,
whatsoever things are just,
whatsoever things are pure,
whatsoever things are lovely,
whatsoever things are of good report;
if there be any virtue, and
if there be any praise,
think on these things.
9 Those things, which ye have both learned,
and received,
and heard,
and seen in me,
do:
and the God of peace shall be with you.
A Prayer for Today
My heavenly Father,
I acknowledge that I don't truly know how to pray as I ought to.
Lord, please draw me close to you and give me a heart and desire to commune with you daily.
Search me and show me the areas of my life that I have been unwilling to surrender to you.
Lord, you are worthy of my Time and Focus and Love.
Help me to Love You as I should.
In Jesus name and for his sake,
I pray,
Amen.
Additional Resources on Prayer
Sermon: Prayer of Faith (Series on James)
Jonathan Moseley is the Pastor at Fair Haven Primitive Baptist Church in Tifton, GA
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