Prayer. It is the way we communicate with God and should be central to every Christ-followers life. But, is it? The Psalmist David says it's the evil who don't consider praying to God. Wondering....so what does this say about me?
Don't misunderstand. I pray. I love to spend time talking to the Lord. I attend prayer meetings, facilitate a women's mission prayer group and never hesitate to pray with or for someone. My thoughts today are drifting to whether prayer is my first or final response. Am I sometimes like the "evil" who don't think about praying to God?
A great test is to reflect on how we respond to news, either good or bad. When something thrilling occurs do we raise a jubilant hallelujah of praise? Is thanking the Lord our primary voice when He showers us with blessings? Do we even recognize and acknowledge that this favour has directly been poured out on us by His hand of grace?
What about when the opposite happens and the unforeseen slams onto the scene? Do we immediately fall to our knees in prayer? Who do we call first, the Lord, a family member or friend? Maybe better yet, is it fear or faith that meets us at the onset of struggles?
It's hard not to feel anxiety swell when our world is unexpectedly faced with an uncertain challenge. I hear myself speaking the right words while my stomach turns and my thoughts become a whirlwind. I utter the truth I know I need to have as my anchor while feeling internally shipwrecked. I know what to do but it's difficult to quiet my heart before the Lord in moments of chaos and confusion. Questions spin on fast forward, running my emotions aground on a shore of shifting sand. Dashing in a million different directions of "what if's" I can so easily project a worse-case scenario, drowning out the Spirit's whisper to still my soul.
I don't want to be classified with the evil or my life to be a reflection of those who wouldn't think of praying to God. I don't want prayer to be an afterthought. It must be essential not eventual. I desire it to be my native tongue at every moment and so natural that I don't think about it...I just do it.
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