Lack Of A Prayer Life

22 And whatever you ask in prayer, you will receive, if you have faith.”

(Matthew 21:22 ESV)

God pursues a relationship with you and one aspect of that relationship is spending it with Him in prayer. In this prayer time, not only are you to speak to God in confession and supplications but you are to spend time listening for His voice speaking to you. Time spent with God in prayer can make a world of difference in your life. It can bring you to a point of knowing the heart of God.

7 For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God's law; indeed, it cannot. (Romans 8:7 ESV)

If you have little occasion in prayer to God, that too will reflect in your life. Today’s lifestyle leads you to be very busy. Getting the kids off to school or hurrying to work can cause you to forget to spend time with God or if you do speak to Him, it may be a quick prayer and off you go. However, realize this, it is time spent with God that strengthens you, empowers you, gives you the ability to confront any situation. Your adversary the devil does not want you to spend that time with God for He, all too well, knows the power it brings. Satan prefers to keep you busy by bringing disturbances in your life to take your mind off the things of God. How many times have you sat in front of the television rather than spending time with God? How many times have you said, “I need to relax.”? However, if a friend was to call or drop by for a visit you will gladly stop to chat with them. Thus, you become powerless by spending less time with God and begin to depend on your own strength. Satan has lost his battle over your soul but in weakening your faith, he can claim a victory over your life. As a Christian, you can only fill your life with one of two natures, the Spiritual, or the flesh. You are the one that makes that choice. Are you going to walk in the flesh and give your enemy victory over your life or walk in the Spirit and give glory to God? Your prayer life reflects the relationship you have with God and little time or no time spent with Him in prayer is sinful. Why do you think the church has little victory, today? It is due to lack of prayer, which is sin to the church that needs forgiveness. The power behind the Christian is in the prayer life.

Lack of prayer says you’ve bought into the lie that life is manageable and you've got everything under control. (Lecrae, Christian Musical Artist)

For Thought:

1.    How many times have you limited your prayer life with God because you were too busy to sit with Him?

2.    Can you resolve to seek time with God on a daily basis?

When Jonathan Edwards, the great American theologian and stimulator of the "Great Awakening", was 19 years old, he wrote 70 resolutions over a period from 1722 to 1723. Number 29 is one that you can seek to emulate.

29. Resolved, Never to count that a prayer, nor to let that pass as a prayer, nor that as a petition of a prayer, which is so made, that I cannot hope that God will answer it; nor that as a confession which I cannot hope God will accept.

As you speak to the Father remember to ask forgiveness for any neglect you may have had in your prayer life and resolve, like Jonathan Edwards, that your petition to God may be one that seeks to glorify Him. Ask God to teach you to listen to Him and to do His will in your life as you seek to live in the Spirit and not the flesh.

12 The eyes of the Lord watch over those who do right, and his ears are open to their prayers. But the Lord turns his face against those who do evil.” (1 Peter 3:12 NLT)