Let Us Pray…

There are many spiritual disciplines listed in scripture. We see preaching, teaching, singing, worship, reading scripture, and prayer just to name a few. Scripture gives us clear instruction on the importance of each of these disciplines as we learn about the God we serve. These disciplines allow us to enrich our relationship with this Holy God, while simultaneously giving us the tools necessary to experience this relationship in every facet of our earthly lives.

We are all created in God’s image, but through the wonder of His creation none of us are the same. We have unique personalities, strengths, and weaknesses. I think if we take an honest inventory of these spiritual disciplines in our own lives we will see those in which we excel, and those in which we struggle. Understand however, just because you may struggle in one of these spiritual disciplines does not mean you should exclude it from your pursuit of God. I believe the opposite is true. The discipline in which you are the weakest is probably where you should focus.

For me, this area is prayer. As strange as it may sound, I have always struggled in the area of prayer. Sure, seeking guidance when a “Big” decision was on the horizon was easy enough. Going to God in prayer when there was a crisis at hand was always my first inclination. There were the repetitive prayers around bed and dinner time as well, but there never seemed to be the meaningful, consistent dialogue that I believe we are called to have. It wasn’t for lack of trying. There were just so many times where I didn’t know what to say, or how to say it. If I am completely honest there were times when I was arrogant enough to think “I’ve got this, no need to bother God with it.”

Recently, there have been two instances that have helped me tremendously in this area. The first, our church recently completed a 21 Days of Prayer initiative. I have participated in these before, but never one with a daily prayer guide, devotional, and consistent preaching weekly on the topic. During one of the sermons our pastor made a comment that pricked by heart. I’m paraphrasing, but the gist was this. The same God who created the universe and everything in it not only “allows” us to speak to Him, he “wants” us to speak with him constantly. Talk about a Wow Moment! This comment was a light bulb moment for me. It may not seem like much to you as a reader, but finally grasping the fact that prayer isn’t something I “need” or “should” do, but rather something I “get” to do was huge!

Jeremiah 33: 2-3 (NIV) says, “This is what the Lord says, He who made the earth, the Lord who formed it and established it- the Lord is His name: Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.” I don’t have a direct line to any other line of authority like that. I can’t pick up the phone and get any guaranteed response from a superintendent, senator, or president, but here in Jeremiah the Creator of all things is saying that not only do we have a direct line, but he hears and will answer. That is a big deal! Also note, there are no qualifications to His statement. He doesn’t say call to me when it’s a big deal, or when things are tough. He simply says to call.

Another verse I love, but always struggled to grasp comes from Paul’s first letter to the Thessalonians. 1 Thessalonians 5: 16-18 (NIV) says, “Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.” It is the “pray continually” portion (verse 17) that I’ve always struggled with. As I mentioned earlier, my issue was never going to God with “Big” things, it was always the little, common, mundane things. Recently a mentor of mine shared how he views this verse and again, a light bulb moment for me! He talked about these as “mind prayers.” He said as he is going through his day he simply takes time to thank God for the little things he notices; a sunrise, a bit of good news, time to spend with a friend or family member. He also stated when he has a worry creep in, he simply asks God for help in that moment.

I think this simple advice is key to having that constant conversation with God. Our prayers don’t have to be long, eloquent, or rehearsed. We don’t have to even close our eyes!  God just wants his people to have a consistent, constant conversation with him. Think about it like this for a moment. What earthly relationship thrives without consistent conversation? The answer is simple, NONE! The easiest way to disrupt a relationship is to pause communication. The evil one knows this. If he can distract us, convince us we are too busy, or allow our pride to interfere with asking God for help, he as placed a road block in that direct line we have to the Creator.

My challenge to you is the same one I’ve issued to myself. Begin and end every day with prayer. Give thanks, confess sin, ask for help. As you go through your day; when you see something good, thank God. When you have a doubt or worry creep in, ask God for help. When you don’t know what or how to pray, simply ask God to help you. Scripture is clear. Prayer is foundational to our faith, but it isn’t something we have to do, it is a gift!

God Bless!

Phil Johnson

Founder J23 Ministries