Rachel Olsen
"Keep on praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)
GUILT. Many Christians I've talked to equate this word with their prayer life, and I can relate.
I used to feel guilty because people would ask me to pray, or I would volunteer to when I heard they were going through something difficult. With a heart of compassion, I'd reply, "Oh, I'll pray for you!" And I fully intended to. But then I'd forget ... get busy ... say that to five other people in the meantime ... and often never get around to doing it despite my good intentions. I'd put off praying in the moment, in favor of waiting until I had a big chunk of time to spend in prayer. Then life would happen and that chunk of time wouldn't materialize. By the time I carved some out, I couldn't remember all I'd intended to pray about.
One of the perceptions I had about prayer was that I needed to spend a lot of time in prayer in order to do it "right." I thought short prayers wouldn't have much power or impact. Then I noticed something that shifted my thinking. In Matthew chapter six, Jesus is teaching about prayer. He says, "When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask" (Matthew 6:7-8, CEV). Wow, so I don't have to talk for hours, coming up with many ways to phrase my petitions? It was so freeing to see this coming from Jesus' lips.
That was followed by another ah-ha moment. In the next verse, Jesus said: "You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil " (Matthew 6:9-13, CEV). This is often called "The Lord's Prayer."
Pause, look at the clock, and then say the Lord's Prayer aloud. Now check the clock again. How long did that take? This was Jesus' illustration of how to pray - so what does that tell us about feeling we need to pray l-o-n-g prayers to be effective? Hear me on this, I do believe there are needs that call for extended time in prayer (see Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46 for instance). But many things can be prayed for in short prayers as we move through out our day.
Now, when a friend sends me an email with a troubled story, I rarely respond by saying, "I will pray for you." Instead, I pause and pray for her before hitting reply to say, "I have prayed for you." If someone calls me on the phone, or tells me in person about their prayer need, more often than not I'll offer to pray with them right then. If I encounter a reason to pray while reading the newspaper, or reading scripture, I do it in the moment. My aim is not to be lengthy and elaborate with these prayers, but rather to do it while my mind is on it.
If I feel the need to pray for someone repeatedly or over time, I follow through with my carefully considered plan because I've gotten more intentional about this prayer thing. But deciding several years ago to pray short, in the moment prayers was key for me. It is a very doable way of "praying continually" and it helped relieve a lot of feelings of failure, pressure and guilt. Most importantly, this ensures that people's needs are in fact being prayed for - which is the ultimate goal, right?
I'm convinced the Enemy often keeps us from praying by getting us to procrastinate until later, making us think we need more time or more words to do this thing "right." As I read the Bible, I see instructions to pray frequently, to pray with faith and persistence, and to pray over all our cares and concerns. But I do not see that we must talk for hours over each request for God to hear them. I hope that does for you what it did for me – replaces feelings of guilt with a renewed passion to pray.
Dear Lord, help me to pray frequently and persistently with faith, in accordance with Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
For more about prayer, or to leave a prayer request, visit Rachel’s blog
God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen
Application Steps:
Purpose to pray in-the-moment-prayers today.
Reflections:
Is prayer a regular part of my day, or something I only "save up" for later?
Power Verses:
Psalm 66:20, "Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me." (NLT)
© 2009 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.
"Keep on praying." 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NLT)
GUILT. Many Christians I've talked to equate this word with their prayer life, and I can relate.
I used to feel guilty because people would ask me to pray, or I would volunteer to when I heard they were going through something difficult. With a heart of compassion, I'd reply, "Oh, I'll pray for you!" And I fully intended to. But then I'd forget ... get busy ... say that to five other people in the meantime ... and often never get around to doing it despite my good intentions. I'd put off praying in the moment, in favor of waiting until I had a big chunk of time to spend in prayer. Then life would happen and that chunk of time wouldn't materialize. By the time I carved some out, I couldn't remember all I'd intended to pray about.
One of the perceptions I had about prayer was that I needed to spend a lot of time in prayer in order to do it "right." I thought short prayers wouldn't have much power or impact. Then I noticed something that shifted my thinking. In Matthew chapter six, Jesus is teaching about prayer. He says, "When you pray, don't talk on and on as people do who don't know God. They think God likes to hear long prayers. Don't be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask" (Matthew 6:7-8, CEV). Wow, so I don't have to talk for hours, coming up with many ways to phrase my petitions? It was so freeing to see this coming from Jesus' lips.
That was followed by another ah-ha moment. In the next verse, Jesus said: "You should pray like this: Our Father in heaven, help us to honor your name. Come and set up your kingdom, so that everyone on earth will obey you, as you are obeyed in heaven. Give us our food for today. Forgive us for doing wrong, as we forgive others. Keep us from being tempted and protect us from evil " (Matthew 6:9-13, CEV). This is often called "The Lord's Prayer."
Pause, look at the clock, and then say the Lord's Prayer aloud. Now check the clock again. How long did that take? This was Jesus' illustration of how to pray - so what does that tell us about feeling we need to pray l-o-n-g prayers to be effective? Hear me on this, I do believe there are needs that call for extended time in prayer (see Jesus' time in the Garden of Gethsemane in Matthew 26:36-46 for instance). But many things can be prayed for in short prayers as we move through out our day.
Now, when a friend sends me an email with a troubled story, I rarely respond by saying, "I will pray for you." Instead, I pause and pray for her before hitting reply to say, "I have prayed for you." If someone calls me on the phone, or tells me in person about their prayer need, more often than not I'll offer to pray with them right then. If I encounter a reason to pray while reading the newspaper, or reading scripture, I do it in the moment. My aim is not to be lengthy and elaborate with these prayers, but rather to do it while my mind is on it.
If I feel the need to pray for someone repeatedly or over time, I follow through with my carefully considered plan because I've gotten more intentional about this prayer thing. But deciding several years ago to pray short, in the moment prayers was key for me. It is a very doable way of "praying continually" and it helped relieve a lot of feelings of failure, pressure and guilt. Most importantly, this ensures that people's needs are in fact being prayed for - which is the ultimate goal, right?
I'm convinced the Enemy often keeps us from praying by getting us to procrastinate until later, making us think we need more time or more words to do this thing "right." As I read the Bible, I see instructions to pray frequently, to pray with faith and persistence, and to pray over all our cares and concerns. But I do not see that we must talk for hours over each request for God to hear them. I hope that does for you what it did for me – replaces feelings of guilt with a renewed passion to pray.
Dear Lord, help me to pray frequently and persistently with faith, in accordance with Your will. In Jesus' Name, Amen.
Related Resources:
Do You Know Him?
For more about prayer, or to leave a prayer request, visit Rachel’s blog
God’s Purpose for Every Woman: A P31 Devotional Gen Eds. Lysa TerKeurst & Rachel Olsen
Application Steps:
Purpose to pray in-the-moment-prayers today.
Reflections:
Is prayer a regular part of my day, or something I only "save up" for later?
Power Verses:
Psalm 66:20, "Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer and did not withdraw his unfailing love from me." (NLT)
© 2009 by Rachel Olsen. All rights reserved.
Labels: Friendships, God's Perspective, Prayer
10 Comments:
I could not have picked a better time to find this website. This message is so awesome. I have recently realized how important pray is in my life and I too thought I had to find my quite place and pour my heart out for an hour. But with two little ones, full time job, life happens. But reading this made me realize that its ok to make it short and sweet until I can get to my quite place. Thank you! Thank you!
Wow, this sounds so much like me! I used to write out my prayers in a journal while I was single and in college, and it would usually take me about an hour at a time. I had this notion, as you say, that this was somehow the "right" way for me to pray. Now that I have two little ones under two and a busy husband, I rarely get an hour to myself for any purpose! I had basically been letting my prayer life fall by the wayside because I never had the time to do it "right." I had just recently been beginning to come to grips with what this devotion says, but you have helped solidify it in my mind and satisfy some questions about it. Thank you!! There is certainly a place for extended prayer times, as you say, but it doesn't ALWAYS need to be this way as I had perceived.
Thank you for your message i've really been stuggling with the fact that i didn't pray as well as other people i thought i didn't conect to god because i wasn't skilled in prayer. You really reinforced to me that as long as i try no matter how brief or many times i get distracted God still get it and hears me. Thank you for your great message.
Thanks for pausing to tell me you have felt freed to pray as needed, as you can, in these seasons of your life.
Pray on, sisters, and know that I've prayed for each of you today! :)
Thank you for your words of encouragement! I have one too many times said "I'll pray for you" but never get to it. Then I feel bad for saying I would pray but never did. Made me feel bad for not keeping my word. There are those who have been called to be Prayer Warriors and I know I'm not one of them. But at the same time, I know I'm called to pray for certain people at specific times. With your words of encouragement I know I can do this! Thanks!!
What an awesome concept! With a husband and family who have busy schedules, along with my schedule it is hard to find that quiet time. But I have recently started praying for people as they contacted me - I even keep a list so that when I see their names I pray for them again. Thanks for an awesome DEVOTION topic.
I usuallly do just that....short meaningful prayers thoughout the day I have even started to pray while brushing my teeth, doing chores, etc. I find this to work better than just praying at night because by then I am just to worn out.
Please pray for me and God knows my situation right now.
I'm a single mother with three children and in University full time.
Thank you and God bless.
This is great!! It reinforces other things that I have read recently. This really is so helpful and I am so grateful that I can talk to the Lord as I go.
Also, I have taken time to pray for the single mother of three children going to to school. Trusting that God will give her special strength and grace.
Thank you for the wonderful devotional! It has definitely changed my prayer life/connectivity with God!!!! I'm coming back nearly a week later just to thank you because I have noticed a huge difference! I pray immediately when there is something to be prayed for and also, I find myself lifting up someone in prayer whether thanking God for them or praying for them, as I do dishes and laundry. Thank you Rachel!
Post a Comment
Home