10 Problems Caused By Prayerlessness

(This is a good sermon for the Christmas season when everyone is so busy buying gifts that other priorities fall by the wayside – see also 11 Reasons Why Christians Stop Praying.)

With the big holiday season upon us, for sure we will all be busier, even if we celebrate less than others. Heavier traffic, busier stores, everything slows down as most of the population fills stores and malls shopping for gifts and the makings of holiday parties and clothing.

With so much more to do, it is easy to lay aside the most important things. I myself have been guilty of this before - getting too busy, or something unexpected happens a few days in a row and I put my prayer list aside to do later in the morning and forget to get back to it as one thing after another comes up that simply cannot wait until later.

With the end times upon us, our connection to God on a daily basis is more important than ever. Any day could be the day a judgment falls where you live.

So....with this in mind, let's look at:

-- What Happens When God's People Stop Praying ???

As Christians, we have all heard or read sermons on the importance of prayer. We have read the scriptures relating to praying.

At various times in my walk, I have devoted various amounts of time to prayer each day, sometimes a half hour, up to as much as four hours per day for months at a time when the Lord led me to. On days when I was exceedingly busy, my prayer time was sometimes put off until later, and sometimes I even forgot, though I always prayed throughout every day and evening.

Several years ago, when I first entered the wilderness I went through in Princeton, the Lord spoke to me and told me an hour of prayer each morning was imperative in my walk with Him. I made it a point to be very diligent in always giving Him that hour, but there were times, like when I drove the 55 mile extreme commute, when my drive time became my prayer time, because I spent so many hours on the highway, and so few sleeping at night.

I have noticed over the years that extreme busy-ness tends to have this effect, not only on me, but on other Christians I know as well.

With the busy holiday season upon us, I thought this would be a good time to address the problems we can encounter when we don't take time to pray.

From time to time, the Lord will speak to me and tell me something He wants me to add to my prayer list. Occasionally, He will even tell me it's time to completely redo my list. He did that about two months ago, telling me to begin praying for a home of my own every day because He desires to bring it to me.

The first item on my prayer list is to cancel all demonic assignments sent against me. If you do this each day, then any demonic assignment in operation can't last more than a day. So

#1. When I don't pray, demonic assignments aren't canceled.

#2. When I don't pray, the Blood of Jesus isn't appropriated for protection over me or those I love and pray for.

So #2 - When I don't pray, the Blood of Jesus isn't appropriated.

#3. When I don't pray, I will be more anxious because I won't have God's peace.

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (Philippians 4:6-7).

#4. When I don't pray, I am not strengthening my connection to God. Our relationship with God can be compared with a marriage. How long would your marriage last if you didn't talk to your spouse every day?

#5. When I don't pray, I am not opening the door for the Lord to speak to me about important matters. Many people have written to me over the last three years saying they do not hear God speak. The Lord showed me in a vision that busy-ness was the reason most people did not hear Him. Because they have so many other things place in front of Him.

By not making time for Him, I am showing Him I don't care what He has to say to me.

#6. When I pray, coincidences happen. When I don't pray for long periods of time, I may not see nearly as much of God's favor at work in my life.

#7. When I don't pray, I open myself up wider for deception. Because I am not staying familiar on a day-by-day basis with the true King of Kings, I will be far more likely to fall for a clever counterfeit when the enemy sends one.