The above CC0 image comes courtesy of Gerd Altmann at Pixabay.com
At the beginning of this year, I wrote a post inspired by a children’s book called Not Now Bernard.
If you’ve not read it, or you would like to refresh your mind about this post please click here.
I ended that post with the following words:
As Christians, is it possible that when we habitually make excuses about our prayerlessness, when we say we are too busy to pray, we are by default allowing a spiritual monster to devour our loved ones and devour aspects of our own lives?
When we say: “Not now God!” (either literally or by default), when we choose other priorities, we may be unwittingly opening our lives to the presence of that spiritual monster, Satan.
Dear reader, I wonder what your attitude is towards God and the subject of prayer?
Is prayer something you do as a last ditch effort to get God’s attention, or something you engage in regularly?
Do you see prayer as a spiritual discipline that you’re aware you should be doing but just don’t have the energy, or the inclination, or even the foggiest knowledge about how to go about it?
Or, is it something that you’ve tried in the past and have now given up on?
During my many years as a Christian, I’ve come across all sorts of attitudes when it comes to prayer. And I’ve heard all sorts of reasons why people don’t pray regularly.
Maybe you are one of those people who:
- Do not feel confident that their prayers are being heard
- Feel they don’t know how to pray effectively
- Reserve prayer for times of personal crisis
- Say they do not have enough time
- Believe this is the forte of specially called people, such as intercessors
- Find prayer boring
- Feel guilty that they are not praying enough, or feel intimidated by the concept
- Do not believe that their prayers make a difference
- Get so caught up with the pressures of daily living that a devotional and prayer life are placed on the back burner and then forgotten.
Women of Warfare followers and visitors if you are someone who has believed, thought or said any of the above as a reason why you do not pray, then may I be blunt with you?
– A failure to pray is in effect a veiled statement where you are saying: Not now God!
– A deliberate decision to not communicate with your Heavenly Father, hides a subconscious cry from your heart – Not now God!
– A refusal to engage with Him who has given you breath and generously sustains it, is tantamount to an ungrateful snub (Not now God!)
Dear reader, lack of confidence, or know-how, or experience, are not justifiable excuses.
The disciples recognised their lack of know-how and asked Jesus to teach them to pray. Have you asked?
Every child of God has the Holy Spirit dwelling within them and He is more than capable of teaching and helping and motivating us to pray. We need only ask. We need only to have the desire and will. We need only to obey.
And as we engage, as we participate regularly, as we continue to connect, we shall grow in knowledge and experience, in confidence and in passion and, instead of: Not now God! our hearts will instead cry:
I come now God! I come with thanksgiving and praise. I come with hope for my future. I come with expectation of your forgiveness, goodness and mercy. I come to do your will.
My dear friend, if you have not already made it a habit to visit God’s throne room daily, may I encourage you to make a quality decision to do so? Don’t delay. Don’t put it off for a more “convenient” time, or for when you feel “good enough” or have arrived at whatever place of spiritual maturity you feel you need to be at. Do it now!
And if you would like a resource that will help you to structure your prayer life, or enable you to pray regularly, may I recommend my book Petitions From My Heart?
Have a blessed weekend!
Love Carol,
Carol Hind
Writer/Blogger/Prayer Advocate
Author of: Petitions From My Heart
Women of Warfare! (WOW!) 