Are You Too Busy To Pray?

When your schedule changes, sometimes your routine changes, and your place of prayer might have to change. Just recently, my supervisor at work realized that myself and the other aide at school were supposed to have 30 minutes for lunch, away from the kids… so now, after we are done eating, I have 30 minutes to get away. Finding a place at the school isn’t that easy, but what I have been doing is going to my van and spending my 30 minutes in my van, praying, listening for God’s direction in my life… it has become a special time, and a special place… no distractions….

Prayer Principle Number 3

Pray Sincerely.

The truth is we need to just pray from our hearts… Be real with God, I promise He can handle it. Jesus said, “Do not keep on babbling”…. I think what he was saying is don’t fall into the habit of using meaningless repetition. If we say the same thing over and over again, does it lose it’s meaning? It can. I don’t greet my wife with the exact same words every day… I don’t say the exact same thing to you every time I see you do I? If I did, you would think I was fake wouldn’t you? If we say the exact same thing to God every time we talk to Him, I wonder what He thinks?

Many times we pray and we don’t even think about what we are saying… Let me give you an example: “Dear Lord, please be with me as I go on this new job interview,” or “Please be with me as I go on this trip.” That sounds pretty normal doesn’t it, in fact we have all prayed that kind of prayer haven’t we?

It doesn’t really make sense thought does it? Why do we ask God to do what he is already doing? In Matt. 28:20 Jesus says, “Surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” In Hebrews 13:5 God says, “Never will I leave you; never will I forsake you.” One of the names of Jesus that we will sing about during our Christmas celebration is Emmanuel, which means what? “God With Us”.

When your apart of His family you don’t have to ask Him to be with you… He already is.. Amen? Maybe instead we should ask God to make us more aware of His presence in our lives everyday, helping us to be confident knowing He is with us.

My point this morning is to talk to God Sincerely, not just with the fancy church jargon that you and I have learned. Fancy prayers with big words don’t impress God one bit. Sincere prayers are what warms God’s heart.

Prayer Principle Number 4

Pray Specifically.

Take the prayer we call the Lord’s Prayer as a model.

Jesus gave us the "Lord’s Prayer" as a model, not to copy every time we pray, but to give us ideas of what can be included in our prayers... like Worship, Submission, Requests, Confessions.

One way to really enhance your prayer life, write your prayer out, a prayer journal. This is a great way to write down your feelings, your problems, you can be honest and evaluate your spiritual life and by doing so, it will help you to grow and know the areas you are dealing with… and as you continue to journal you will see real growth, you will be able to go back and see how God has answered your prayers and brought you along in your journey.

For the miracle of prayer to begin operating in our lives, we must finally do only one thing: we must Pray!

ps... a couple illustrations used from sermon central sermons...