LoveGodGreatly -- Praying!

Don't you love how easy it is to pray?  (Yes, that's a joke.)

I started a Bible study this week, and it is called, "Growing Through Prayer."  One of the admonitions we were given is to remember that prayer is not something our enemy wants us doing. After all, we are talking to the King of everything and everyone.

But it is hard. From making sure your Bible is handy, you have something to write with (and maybe a cup of coffee or tea close by), finding your reading glasses, and making sure the dog has been walked so she isn't whining in the midst of things, to ignoring the piles of laundry by the washing machine or the dishes in the sink...there can be endless distractions.

That is why it is important to be intentional about prayer (which is our challenge for this week). I've realized that I have not been intentional in the past. The biggest effort I've put into it is actually getting up early (around 5:30). But by the time I do a 15 min Pilates workout so I can sit without back pain, and I make coffee and walk the dog, and then gather all my "supplies," I look at the clock and an hour has gone by. Then I find myself listening when the floor above me creaks, because I want to have my alone time, alone (before everyone else gets up, ya know).

So, making sure everything is in the spot where I want to tarry with the Lord in the morning is important. Bible, reading glasses, journal, study book, pens, etc. And I can have the coffee pot ready to go in the morning. All of that will help to streamline things so I can get to the whole point of being up early and alone—praying.

But then, once I sit down, here it comes—the to-do's, and the anxiety about all that my day should entail. That, coupled with my listening for the patter of footsteps that will interrupt my quiet time, can cause me to spend my time holding my breath. Somehow, I don't think that is what God has in mind when He wants me to fellowship with Him.

The truth is, there's no perfect way to pray. We overthink it. God wants to hear from us. Just like our good friend whom we call when we are hurting or sad or excited (or bored), He wants to know what we are thinking and feeling. And He wants to tell us what He thinks and what He has for us.

This isn't a perfect process, and it never will be. But I am learning that I can trust Him to be there when I reach out. And it is my reaching out that is building that trust in my heart, so I can see how important it is to spend time praying.

Won't you join me? If you'd like to study along with me, click here to download the study.

Joining others for