Did You Think To Pray?
Ere you left your room this morning, did you think to pray? So are the words of a song we sing. The song reminds us to pray morning noon and night. The song encourages us to praise God, make requests, and offer thanksgivings. We enjoy singing this song, but do we live up to the words of this song? Most of the time, such a reminder is necessary because no matter how much we actually pray, there is always room for more prayer in our lives.
We usually get so caught up in the affairs of life that often we limit our prayer life to certain events. When we go to church there are prayers offered. Sometimes when we sit down for a meal, we offer our thanks. Occasionally, we intercede for others who might be sick or facing medical procedures. Few times, we actually pray for ourselves and our well-being.
Reading through the Psalms we find the Psalmist making mention that his prayer went up in the morning and at evening. In the middle of the night while his head was on his pillow, he prayed. In the heat of the day, prayers rise up towards God. Some prayers asking for protection and/or strength.
Many Bible characters are known for their prayers. Daniel, David, Jabez, and Nehemiah. If you recall the case of Nehemiah, we find that he learns of the horrible condition of his homeland and city of Jerusalem. This upsets him very much. At first he cried, but then he began to pray and fast and this went on for quite a while. One day the King asked Nehemiah, who was his cup-bearer, why he was so sad. Nehemiah said that he could not be happy while his homeland sat desolate. The king asked him what he desired. Rather than just blurt out his request, the Bible tells us that Nehemiah prayed to God before he expressed his wants (Nehemiah 2:4).
How often, when we are presented with a difficult choice do we take time to pray? Perhaps we just make the request, and later pray that we made the right choice. Many times when we pray we are just seeking justification for something we have done. We should have prayed about it beforehand and allowed God to guide us through His word. But you see, there is where the problem lies. Often our prayers are limited to selfish request. We pray that our sports team has a victory. We pray that our kicker will be true and accurate when the game is on the line. We pray for the best even though we do not give God our best.
We must remember that prayer is our lifeline to God. Prayer is what keeps up mindful of God and in a good clean relationship. I dare say that most sins committed are not done while someone was praying.
Prayer is something we need to learn. Even the disciples came up and asked Jesus to teach them to pray. That might seem strange since most of them were Jews. But prayer was not a big part of the Jewish lifestyle. Prayer is however a major part of the Christian lifestyle. Paul told the Thessalonians to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). That is precisely what we are supposed to do. As long as we are praying, we are giving God His due place in our lives. The moment we stop praying, God takes a lower position in our priorities. So remember to pray all the time, and keep your line of communication with God open always.
By Carey Scott

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