One might think that if God assigned only one way for mankind to speak to Him, and if prayer is the only way any individual can directly address our maker, sustainer and King, that we would have much to say to Him. That we would want to speak to Him often. All the more, as Jesus shortly introduces Him as Father. But prayer is a conscious act; as with all communication, it takes intentionality. We must enforce the creation of time and space in our lives to do it. Therein lies its greatest weakness. It is open to the one and only tool the enemy of our souls can apply against it; Distraction.
The distracted disciple does not pray. The distracted disciple has far too many other priorities. Well, not so much priorities as inversions. And truly they are inversions, because the mountain of fuel for our prayers is ever before us.
For if we work, we have a huge amount of fuel for prayer. There are co-workers who are bundles of need – so much to pray for them! There are bosses who need wisdom and insight and compassion and grace. There is the whole matter of the work itself. Where will the customers come from? How will ideas surface to make the organization better? Besides all which is the matter of praise and thanksgiving. For employment. For means to bless others. For the ability to do the job, and to get to and from the workplace. At the very least, a prayer for work for the unemployed. But the distracted disciple sees none of this. They see a task that needs urgent completion, followed by a never ending list of other tasks. Without prayer, what God meant for blessing and as opportunity to always come before Him is nothing more than a meaningless treadmill.
If we have friends and family we have a huge amount of fuel for prayer. There are either obstacles to be prayed out of the way, or for courage/determination and strength to overcome. There is health to be thankful for or infirmity to be prayed for. There are relational needs that mandate much time before His throne, that one’s outlook upon them might be gracious. There are lost family members and friends somewhere, and partners of loved ones yet to be met. Divine providence is called for, divine intervention needed. There are decisions that need tact, grace and a liberal amount of love invested in their application. So much to pray for! But the distracted disciple perceives only competing wants, needs and demands. Family becomes a chore instead of a goldmine of blessing, friends a demand to be scheduled instead of relationships to be nourished.
One might think that having a church home and brothers and sisters in Christ is but fuel for prayer. That being part of God’s family is fuel for prayer. That knowing you are part of a never-ending Kingdom that needs to be and will be more fully manifested in physical reality is very much fuel for prayer. Not just prayer as in supplication, but in prayer for praise and thanksgiving. For adoration, confession and intercession.
Yet the distracted disciple is so preoccupied with themselves, they can not see – much less participate – in the grand overarching chronology of our collective lives.
Fortunately, even in addressing the subject, Jesus affords us an effective response to distraction. He said, ”And when you pray.,” meaning that before we we get to “whenever”, we need to plan when. Having a predetermined time for prayer – an appointment with God as it were – is a most effective combatant to the enemy’s distractions.
After all, we make appointments with important people we need to speak to. We schedule our tasks. We purposefully keep times open for dates with our loved ones. Why would we not afford that same consideration to Our Father?
To honour God in your daily walk is to live the very best quality of life, because the whole point of life is that we might be God’s people, and He might be our God. […] That kind of life starts with listening to Him. It starts when we are in dialogue with Him. It starts when we take the time to work on our relationship with Him. When we take time to pray.
Marcus Verbrugge
APPLICATION: Thanksgiving
Prayer is a conscious act. A choice. A choice we need to made in advance of doing it. Today, set aside time to pray!