Prayer is one of those things that I’m extremely good at sometimes, and is extremely non-existent at other times.
In those amazing times and spans where I’m fully focused on God with prayer in my life, life becomes so amazing, light and care free. I feel like I’m dancing on air most days, and even those hard moments that come along with being a mother, aren’t so hard to get through.
But in those moments….days or weeks, even….when I simply forget to pray — when I find my days are becoming extra long and stressful…when I don’t pray because something becomes a bigger priority than God — my life changes. It’s heavy. It lacks self-control. And ultimately, my life is prayerless, and becomes more so the longer I go without prayer in my life.
I’ve been going through one of those dry spells these past two weeks. Some days have been great, but more days have been full of heaviness and stress. I get this way every few months, when quarterly work deadlines arise and I’m sitting at a computer as the TV babysits my child. One thing that I hate more than anything during this time of the quarter.
I try my hardest to do the homeschool. To do mothering. To do homemaking. But work takes priority when the paycheck is your source of life.
And then I stop and think….“did I really just say that?”Click here to
Pinpointing that exact point of change in heart is hard for me to figure out, but it happens once every quarter when I get to my deadlines. But that’s been an excuse for far too long. What’s my excuse the remaining 10 weeks in the quarter?
And then I realize….
Prayer isn’t a daily priority in my life. Which means, in so many cases, God isn’t the top priority in my life.
So what then? What do I do with this? You would think that it would be easy. You’ve realized your issue and now you just strive to pray more, right?
Wrong…
See, prayer isn’t just this 10 line paragraph that you recite to the King of the Universe. Now I lay me down to sleep I pray the Lord my soul to keep….
Sure, it’s great for the kids. It allows them to learn a prayer that they will remember their entire lives. It builds their foundation of their prayer life. But prayer is so much more, as you grow in Christ.
Prayer is your love language to your Savior. It’s an expression of love, of praise, of sovereignty, and of worship. You don’t just pray when you have something to pray about — you pray without ceasing.
So how, then, do you pray without ceasing, especially during those days when you’re crazy busy or when you just “don’t want to”?
That part is easy.
When we trust. When we believe that the purpose of praying without ceasing is because of things yet seen or experienced, it becomes easy. When we come to Him simply because we have nothing to ask of Him, but just to love on Him and thank Him for what He’s done and what is yet to come — to bless Him, instead of Him blessing us. That’s what prayer is. Though yet I have nothing, and on my own I am nothing more — I am everything when I’m with Him and in Him. I am His, and He is mine.
Yes, pray for healing, pray for deliverance, pray for salvation, pray for protection, pray for health and finances and life, pray for new birth and revival….but don’t just pray for those thing.
pray.without.ceasing.
And when He answers you….
pray again.
