If the goal of the Christian Life is faith maturation, then at some point, prayer has to be taken seriously. I’m not talking about a prayer of thanksgiving before a meal or a modest expression of “Thank you Lord” for the weather. Those simple prayers are needed and definitely have their place; but, the type of prayer I’m referring to is the silent reflective prayer where one descends into the depths of your heart. The unfortunate truth is we are aliens to ourselves and our first desire is to maintain that level of disconnect.
We run after many things that we think add value to our lives and in doing so we run from the opportunity to grow inwardly. Often, we long for time, in hopes that we can manufacture a spiritual life that shines as bright as the sun. Yet, we yield to the cares and demands of our world which consumes all our time and energy. At some point, we have to choose what is most important? What is temporary? What is eternal? How we handle that choice determines which path we take and ultimately what we become.
Prayer is the heart of the Christian life. It is essential to growing in grace. Try this: Sit alone in a quiet place. Don’t worry how long. Continually ask God to help your mind drift away from the daily cares of the world. Observe your breathing. Try to slow it down. Focus on a word, phrase, or portion of scripture and invite God’s Spirit to minister to you in this time of silence.
Give it time. Practice it daily. Eventually you will welcome this time spent with God. As God guides, stay with him. Don’t be afraid. Sometimes the work of the Holy Spirit is to reveal areas of growth. Sometimes, God wants to remove barriers that prevent us from becoming like Jesus. Trust in God and your time with Him. He won’t disappoint.
This week’s readings:
Monday – Hebrews 7
Tuesday – Hebrews 8
Wednesday – Hebrews 9
Thursday – Hebrews 10
Friday – Hebrews 11
Please Pray for:
Our ministers and their families.
Those who are unwillingly absent.
The United Methodist Church family.
Our nation and our leaders.
The World.
The Lost.
The lives of those touched by the Coronavirus.
