Prayer Blog - Everyday Prayer

How often do you pray, if at all? Once a day, before meals, when you're about to walk into that important meeting and you need a little extra help, before you turn off the lights before bed, with your kids at the side of their beds before their bedtime?

I've noticed that there seem to be designated times in Christians' days when they remember to pray. They need help or they're stressed so they give God a tap and ask for the situation to go away. Christians remember to pray before eating because that's probably what they were raised doing. Even if you didn't grow up in a Christian household, your parents most likely said grace before a meal, because that's just what they did. Praying with your kids seems like a no-brainer; it calms them down before lights out and reminds them not to be afraid of the dark. These are the times of the day when Christians are most likely to pray because it's force of habit; they pray at the same times every day, most of the time saying the exact same words, and then they can move on with their days because they've done their duty.

Praying at the same times every day is not a bad thing; in fact, it is is encouraged in the Bible. Matthew 6:6 says, "But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your father who is in secret. And your father who sees in secret will reward you." God encourages believers to set time aside from their lives to read his teachings and to dwell in his presence. But, sadly, most Christians take this too seriously. They set certain times of day to pray, stop what they are doing, open up their Bibles, and then pray the contents of their hearts to God. The bad part of this is that believers get to set in their ways. They make sure their Bible study is at the exact same time every day. They read the same verses, pray the same prayers, and ask for things they want instead of giving God glory. They forget why they set this time apart; they forget that God wants us to enjoy our time with him.

Christians should enjoy their time with God. "Pray without ceasing," says 1 Thessalonians 5:17. So, more often than not, time set aside for God should be spontaneous and Spirit-led. Christians shouldn't have to worry about staying within a certain time limit or being overrun by work. They are to enjoy God and love the time they spend with him.

Prayer -
Dear Lord, help us to enjoy your goodness and glory. Never let us forget that we serve a great and mighty God who we should never stop praising. Let us not become weighted down by our earthly responsibilities; instead, let us only be concerned with glorifying you, God. Let the Holy Spirit prompt us at unlikely times to praise you and to give you our time. And put on our hearts new prayers to you that we have not prayed before. Let us enjoy your presence by never ceasing to glorify you. 

A challenge to my readers: Be spontaneous this week. Pray to God just to praise him. Give him some time in your week that you would never have thought of before.