Part IV
In this series, I have laid out some principles I’ve found to be helpful in praying more powerful prayers: that is, 1)preparing your attitude, 2)preparing your heart, and 3)preparing your posture to meet with God in prayer. Today we are going to tackle the final principle, which is 4)prioritizing prayer time.
Priorities
How do you find time to exercise or cook healthy meals? How do you fit in time to shop for that special gift, or handwrite a note to a sick friend? Do you make time during the week to call a widow or shut-in? What about time to stop and “smell the roses?” What DO we find time to do? Sometimes I think we get so caught up in dressing for success, housecleaning routines, or scheduling our next Zoom call, that we forget these items are of much lesser importance in the grand scheme of life. If we consider the time we waste sitting in traffic jams, running out of the house on frantic shopping trips to get the missing recipe item instead of changing the menu, or running to and fro like the proverbial hamsters in a cage, we realize that these are not things that are fulfilling, nor are they the truly important things in our lives! How much more, then, do we neglect prioritizing the time to pray? Call me guilty! I’m sure it’s not different for you, too. Friends, it’s time to change that.
Consider for a moment all the preparations required for your annual doctor’s exam. You have to make a call to schedule the visit, and then you must post it on your calendar. You may do this ahead of time, but before your visit occurs, you have paperwork to complete. The doctor’s office must check our insurance coverage and identification before you are allowed to enter the exam room. You will meet with a nurse practitioner who takes your vitals and records them on your chart. You may be asked some questions about lifestyle changes, health habits, and so on. The doctor will read over your chart. Then, you get a brief visit with him or her to go over the highlights. It’s all over in a very short window of time. I can only imagine all the scheduling and preparation and more that would go into meeting with the President or the Queen! And if such a meeting did indeed happen, it, too, would be very brief, as any individual in such a position would be quite busy. No leisurely lunches or lazy afternoon gatherings with them! Yet Almighty God makes Himself available to us 24-7. He is never too busy! We are already a priority to Him! In fact, He desires a day -to-day relationship with us. Consider that for a moment! The God of the Universe not only desires time with us, He makes it a priority. But, do we reciprocate? How much more should we make prayer time with Him a top priority in our lives?
How to Make Prayer a Priority
So, we agree about prioritizing prayer. But, how do you pick the right time to pray? There is no easy answer to this, and frankly, the right time may be different for everyone, or different at different periods of your life. When my children were little, I fell asleep as soon as I climbed into bed. In fact, if the grandkids come for an overnight visit, I still do! Praying at bedtime was out of the question then and now, as my prayers would be cut off in mid-sentence. At the same time, when my kids were small, I was always tired, so getting up early seemed unimaginable to me, especially if someone woke me during the night!
So, I would use my time encouraging the children’s prayers as my prayer time, too. While I listened to their prayers, I prayed for them, and us. Not ideal, I know, but as they grew and needed me less, my prayer time grew as well, for I needed to pray for them more.
In the latter part of my career, I had an hour-long commute to work each day. I generally left home at 6 AM in order to get to work on time. That meant that I was awake by 5 AM. Now, I am an early riser, but for several years, I was attending night classes while working on a higher degree. That meant I went to bed late, and I didn’t think I would be able to function at work if I got up any earlier than 5 AM! So, I made time to pray in my hour-long commute to work. It was dark and relatively peaceful, as far as commutes go, and it started my day well. By the time I got to work, I felt refreshed and ready to face the day. Now that I’m retired, I can pray in the early morning. I find this time most satisfying, because after a good night’s sleep, I am rested and alert, and eager to seek God in prayer before my day begins. Everyone’s situation may be different, so you will have to find the right time for you. Perhaps it will be during a lunch break at work. Or, maybe, you will carve out time to pray while doing routine chores, or while walking. I often find that a good walk is a great time to spend communing with God and praising Him for the beauty of His creation. Whenever you find the time to pray will be the right time for you.
Schedule
If you use a daily or weekly planner, block off a prayer time, at least until the practice becomes a habit. If you schedule appointments on your phone, set an appointment to pray and, once you get an appointment reminder, follow through. If you schedule on a monthly calendar, set an hour to focus solely on prayer. You won’t be sorry! Not only is it important to go to God with the right attitude, heart, and posture, but it is important to schedule your time so it becomes a priority.
What does priority mean? Making something a priority means you regard it as having a high level of importance, taking precedence over routine events or chores. Your prayer life is certainly more important than anything else in this life. If you work and cannot carve out any other private time, use your lunch hour to pray. If you are a stay-at-home mom, use nap time to pray. Suppose you live in a dormitory, group home, or a home with a large, noisy family? Jesus showed us the way. In the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you.” If you make prayer a priority, you will find a way.
Practice
Once you have your schedule set, practice. Practice helps you master your resistance. Practice helps you establish new habits. Practice helps you perfect your skill at navigating the unexpected interruptions– the phone ringing, the doorbell chimes, the weather worries, the dog barking, and so on. Practice also helps you become more skilled. Practice not only praying to God, but listening to God. Begin with humility and end with praise. Throughout your prayer time, pause and be still, expectant, and open. Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still and know that I am God!” This is a command that reminds us of our place and our power. God is alive and at work and we need only be still and move out of the way. This verse is a reminder that we should stop striving for vain, worldly things, and be still in awe of our glorious creator. He does not need us, but He wants us. Draw near to Him. Stand in awe of Him. Be still and hear Him! This is the beginning of a more powerful prayer life.
From Peggy's Pen 