Who Finds It Difficult To Pray?
Who finds it difficult to pray? Prayer is simply conversation between us and God. Prayer simply involves honest communication. Prayer is, in part, listening for a divine response. It sounds so simple doesn’t it? So, who finds it difficult to pray?
Let’s be completely honest with ourselves and with each other. We sometimes do find it difficult to pray. This not always the case, for there are times when prayers roll off our lips like the waves roll up on the shore. Still, there are times when it is difficult to pray, difficult to converse with God, difficult to be open and vulnerable before the Almighty, difficult to listen.
Sometimes I find it difficult to pray. I have had times in prayer that is so exhilarating that I just can’t put it into words. I enjoy and treasure those times. Nevertheless, all of my prayer experience isn’t like that. Sometimes prayer is hard work. Sometimes it isn’t a mountaintop experience. There are even time (dare I admit it?) when I don’t feel much like praying at all. There are times I just don’t know how to pray, and even if I do pray it doesn’t seem like God is listening. I confess that these experiences wouldn’t make a very inspiring hymn, but they are my experiences. They may be your experiences too. We need to figure out what do with them and how to understand them.
The first lesson we draw from the scriptures is that it is OK to face difficulty in prayer. What a relief! If the apostles struggled in prayer, then perhaps I can be less hard on myself if I do too. So, relieved of the burden of some false guilt, let’s be over comers in our prayer journey.
We must try to make lifestyle patterns work for and not against us. A morning person should plan his or her prayer time in the morning. A night person should plan to pray at night. Those who are easily disturbed should find a quiet place. If the best personal time is while commuting, plan to pray while driving (eyes open, please!) There is no benefit in making prayer as difficult as possible.
Is prayer time losing it freshness? Creativity in prayer is allowed. Sing a song. Pray a Psalm. We can pray on our knees, on our faces, standing up, or sitting down. Some of my favorite times of prayer is just walking through the sanctuary.
If we find ourselves distracted by remembering things we need to do, keep a notepad close by. Take a moment to write a brief reminder and go back to prayer time.
Developing a prayer life that overcomes requires approaching prayer with the right perspective. It starts with an understanding that prayer involves intentional effort and discipline. An effective prayer life doesn’t just happen by accident.
The right perspective for prayer also involves a focus on God and not on others. Jesus had to set aside the failure of His disciples and focus His prayer on the Father. So do we.
Prayer that is preoccupied with what we think others should be doing or not doing will be ineffective. We need to focus our attention on God and let that focus shape our perspective in prayer. He will help us sort out everything else in the right way.
Overcoming prayer begins with the heart. Our prayers will be more effective when we start with the right attitude. Our ability to deal with apparently unanswered prayer or different answers than we anticipated will depend on the same right attitude. We have to answer a fundamental question concerning our approach to prayer. Is prayer about bringing our world into line with God’s plan or getting God to help us bring our world in line with our plan?
If a person’s prayers are simply for the things that will gratify his or her desires, these prayers are essentially selfish. Therefore, it is not possible for God to answer them. The true end of prayer is to say to God, “Your will be done.” The prayer of the person who is pleasure-dominated is, “My desires be satisfied.” It is a fact of life that we can’t pray appropriately until we take ourselves from the center of our lives and put God there.
If prayer is about getting God to help us do what we want, then our prayer life is going to struggle. When God doesn’t do what we think should be done, we will be impatient and disappointed. God is not like a magic genie, granting our wishes when we rub the lamp the right way. Our God is far greater than that. His will is always for our best and for the best of those we love.
Prayer is a challenging spiritual exercise. It requires our best and wisest effort, commitment, and discipline. It both requires and produces a right spiritual attitude and focus. It will not always result in a changed situation, but it will surely change us.
Difficulties in prayer? Sure. But we don’t let a few obstacles and a little hard work keep us from the rich rewards of prayer. Whether we are in peaceful time of blessing or tormented by a storm, the time we invest with God is never a moment wasted.
Let’s be completely honest with ourselves and with each other. We sometimes do find it difficult to pray. This not always the case, for there are times when prayers roll off our lips like the waves roll up on the shore. Still, there are times when it is difficult to pray, difficult to converse with God, difficult to be open and vulnerable before the Almighty, difficult to listen.
Sometimes I find it difficult to pray. I have had times in prayer that is so exhilarating that I just can’t put it into words. I enjoy and treasure those times. Nevertheless, all of my prayer experience isn’t like that. Sometimes prayer is hard work. Sometimes it isn’t a mountaintop experience. There are even time (dare I admit it?) when I don’t feel much like praying at all. There are times I just don’t know how to pray, and even if I do pray it doesn’t seem like God is listening. I confess that these experiences wouldn’t make a very inspiring hymn, but they are my experiences. They may be your experiences too. We need to figure out what do with them and how to understand them.
The first lesson we draw from the scriptures is that it is OK to face difficulty in prayer. What a relief! If the apostles struggled in prayer, then perhaps I can be less hard on myself if I do too. So, relieved of the burden of some false guilt, let’s be over comers in our prayer journey.
We must try to make lifestyle patterns work for and not against us. A morning person should plan his or her prayer time in the morning. A night person should plan to pray at night. Those who are easily disturbed should find a quiet place. If the best personal time is while commuting, plan to pray while driving (eyes open, please!) There is no benefit in making prayer as difficult as possible.
Is prayer time losing it freshness? Creativity in prayer is allowed. Sing a song. Pray a Psalm. We can pray on our knees, on our faces, standing up, or sitting down. Some of my favorite times of prayer is just walking through the sanctuary.
If we find ourselves distracted by remembering things we need to do, keep a notepad close by. Take a moment to write a brief reminder and go back to prayer time.
Developing a prayer life that overcomes requires approaching prayer with the right perspective. It starts with an understanding that prayer involves intentional effort and discipline. An effective prayer life doesn’t just happen by accident.
The right perspective for prayer also involves a focus on God and not on others. Jesus had to set aside the failure of His disciples and focus His prayer on the Father. So do we.
Prayer that is preoccupied with what we think others should be doing or not doing will be ineffective. We need to focus our attention on God and let that focus shape our perspective in prayer. He will help us sort out everything else in the right way.
Overcoming prayer begins with the heart. Our prayers will be more effective when we start with the right attitude. Our ability to deal with apparently unanswered prayer or different answers than we anticipated will depend on the same right attitude. We have to answer a fundamental question concerning our approach to prayer. Is prayer about bringing our world into line with God’s plan or getting God to help us bring our world in line with our plan?
If a person’s prayers are simply for the things that will gratify his or her desires, these prayers are essentially selfish. Therefore, it is not possible for God to answer them. The true end of prayer is to say to God, “Your will be done.” The prayer of the person who is pleasure-dominated is, “My desires be satisfied.” It is a fact of life that we can’t pray appropriately until we take ourselves from the center of our lives and put God there.
If prayer is about getting God to help us do what we want, then our prayer life is going to struggle. When God doesn’t do what we think should be done, we will be impatient and disappointed. God is not like a magic genie, granting our wishes when we rub the lamp the right way. Our God is far greater than that. His will is always for our best and for the best of those we love.
Prayer is a challenging spiritual exercise. It requires our best and wisest effort, commitment, and discipline. It both requires and produces a right spiritual attitude and focus. It will not always result in a changed situation, but it will surely change us.
Difficulties in prayer? Sure. But we don’t let a few obstacles and a little hard work keep us from the rich rewards of prayer. Whether we are in peaceful time of blessing or tormented by a storm, the time we invest with God is never a moment wasted.
Comments
Post a Comment