“Now it came to pass, as He was praying in a certain place, when He ceased, that one of His disciples said to Him, “Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”
Luke 11:1
If every possible human problem can be solved through prayer, then maybe our only real problem is prayerlessness. Anyone who has attempted to spend serious time in prayer knows that it’s hard work. Not because God is hard to get along with! But because there is so much opposition to sincere prayer. The world has no time for it. Our flesh resists the idea. The Devil opposes it. Maintaining an effective prayer life requires ongoing effort. And I don’t have to tell you that making a New Years resolution to pray more probably won’t help. Overcoming prayerlessness takes more than sheer effort. Here’s a few things that can make it easier.
1. Use your routine habit. We are creatures of habit. Bad habits work against you, but good habits really do all the work for you. If you routinely shower, brush your teeth, and commute to work every day, then make a place for God in your daily routine and it will get done.
2. Use a prayer guide – like the Four P’s , or a different one if you wish. Using a guideline just makes it easier, so you don’t stay away because you don’t know what to say.
3. Pray with other people. Not necessarily a weekly prayer meeting, but having a prayer partner who you can connect with on a daily basis lends tremendous incentive to keep at it. I know of one church that has a daily tele-meeting via conference call with over 200 people online praying together!
4. Pray in tongues. This marvelous gift is a multi-taskers dream! Anywhere, anytime. Whether you’re on the go or in a waiting room, praying in tongues keeps you connected to God and your spiritual pump primed.
5. Time out. Every so often, maybe once a month, have a personal prayer day. Plan it out in advance, go somewhere where you can’t be reached or distracted, and spend a morning with God.
And one more thing – if you have neglected prayer for too long already, don’t let guilt keep you from it any longer! Just start right where you are. Right now!
