The Privilege Of Prayer

Never stop praying.

1 Thessalonians 5:17

PRAYER MAY BE ONE OF the biggest challenges Christian men face. Our world demands that we be constantly busy. We scarcely have time for quiet hours of thinking, meditation, or talking to God. We don’t have time to sit on the front porch swing and reflect on life. We may not even have a front porch—much less a swing!

Still, the Bible clearly commands us to pray—and not just to pray, but to pray constantly. So let’s resolve to start doing it. First, make a list of people and situations you could pray about: your family, a buddy who lost his job, the family whose home is being repossessed, your pastor and church, your workplace, a family friend with cancer, world and national affairs, your local community, or your child’s schoolteacher. The list can get long very quickly.

There are at least a couple of different ways to approach prayer. First, pray as a part of whatever you’re doing. Pray while you’re driving, working, exercising, doing yard work, etc. It takes only a few seconds to say a quick prayer before and during any activity.

Second, set aside time for focused prayer. Be intentional and consistent with this dedicated prayer time. There’s no substitute for spending time with God. Practiced together, these two approaches can greatly improve your prayer life and intimacy with God.

BOTTOM LINE

Make sure that you’re intentionally cultivating your prayer life. It’s a great privilege!

Moment of Strength: Matthew 6:5-13