Not Enough Time for Prayer? Try This!
I made time for whatever I thought was important. On the top of my list were my job and binge-watching Netflix. Prayer fell by the wayside. Unless I needed something, then God was first on my list—after my parents.
The Lord wants us to constantly pray and not come to him only when we need something. We must include him in all areas of our life. Besides, if you only pray when you want something, you’re not receiving the full benefit of prayer. You may not necessarily need to create your own “War Room,” but it is essential to prioritize alone time with God. Even Jesus was intentional about this. When surrounded by others, he kept slipping away to find solitude. A trip to the bathroom, a walk outside, or a few minutes of peace at your desk can make all the difference.
Why is prayer necessary?
Jesus demonstrated the importance of prayer throughout his life. He was constantly speaking with The Father. Praying was as essential to his daily routine as food and water. Jesus used this form of spiritual nourishment in numerous instances, including early in the morning (Mark 1:35-36), after healing others (Luke 5:15-16), when giving thanks (John 6:11), and before making difficult decisions (Luke 6:12-16).
Christ wants prayer to be as important to us as it is to him. Jesus prepared for every decision by praying. He first consulted with God about what he should do. For example, before selecting his disciples, Jesus went up a mountain and prayed all night. The following day he designated twelve of his followers to be his apostles. This decision not only impacted his death (Judas’ betrayal), but it would also affect his purpose. These men would be the ones to continue his ministry when he was gone. Prayer is important because it allows God to prepare you for what’s ahead. Then you can meet anything you encounter with his power.
What are the benefits of prayer?
Prayer has numerous benefits. It is one of the best ways to discern God’s will and is one of the most important things you can do for your mental health. Prayer helps you relax, focus, and connect with God. You can pray at any time and place, so the immediacy of the peace and joy experienced when praying can cause a critical shift in moments of stress or anxiety. Prayer is also one of the best ways to connect with God. An intimate relationship with Christ reminds us that we are never alone and there is always someone by our side who truly loves and cares for us.
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Praying without ceasing
After Jesus fed more than five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish, he left his disciples to pray. (Mark 6:30-46) Even after a huge victory, Jesus still took the time to consult with The Father. Christ shows us that there is no time to relax. You must pray without ceasing. Satan wants to catch you unprepared. 1 Peter 5:8 says he prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. So strengthen your faith. The Devil would like nothing better than to catch you off-guard. You must consistently seek God.
How to pray
In Matthew 6:5-15 Jesus teaches us how to pray. He says that when you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites—those with performative faith. They want people to see them praying. The truth is, that’s all the reward they will get. But when you pray, you should go into your room and close the door. Then pray. God is right there in that private place. He can see what you do privately, and he will reward you.
God asks us to pray very simply. Like this:
Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our debts as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.
You can do many things to make time for prayer, including setting a specific time to pray, making a prayer list, and eliminating all distractions. Continue reading for three tips to help you put prayer back into your day.
- Be specific. First, set a specific time to pray. You may think that prayer takes too long and you need more time. Nonsense! You don’t have to begin by praying for an hour or even 20 minutes. Set a timer for five minutes and dedicate that time to the Lord. You can lengthen the time with practice, but start small if you have reservations. Be intentional. Take a few minutes each day for silent prayer.
- Make a list. Make a prayer list of the people and things you wish to speak to God about; this will help you to focus on what’s most important. Even with a list, you may feel that you still need the right words. Start reading your Bible. The more you expose yourself to God’s word, the easier it will be to discern the things you need to say to him.
- Eliminate all distractions. As Jesus modeled, solitude is a beneficial way to remove distractions while praying. However, even if our external environment is peaceful, our internal playground can be different. Even during prayer, our minds want to alert us of everything we need to do today. Therefore, resist distractions by quickly resuming your prayer or immediately praying about the distraction with God. The point is, don’t beat yourself up. God sees your heart.
Finally
Overall, you make time for what you think is important. Prayer is a priority to God, and he wants it to be a priority to you. Setting aside time to pray is easier than you may think. Keeping a prayer list and eliminating distractions are a few tools to help put prayer back into your day.
God calls us to spend time with him. So what happens if you don’t make an extra effort to pray? God still loves you, but you’re cutting yourself short. Open up all areas of our life to him and watch him do amazing things. God says that he wants to bless you exceedingly more than you have ever asked or thought. Why not let him?
