News Archive

October 2014

Prayer and "Time Management"

Too often, our day ends and we have not prayed at all. Why not? What has filled our time? Are we really that busy, or…

Perhaps we feel we don’t know what to say to God.

We aren’t sure it will do any good.

People around us don’t pray, and/or don’t believe in God.

We postpone it to a quieter or less busy time—which never seems to come.

We feel self-conscious about praying if our words aren’t perfect.

We make an all-or-nothing assumption: that if our prayer doesn’t take a long time, or produce intense feelings, then it isn’t prayer.

It’s possible to pray without words. If you can’t find the words, or your words seem to get in the way, don’t frustrate yourself. Instead, imagine your heart opening like a book. Rest there, and let God gaze into inside your open heart. You will feel God speaking to you, saying, “Yes...I am here.”

Learning to add prayer to a busy life can be difficult. If you set aside a few minutes of prayer time—or even a few seconds—every morning, but you still have not developed the habit right away, don’t be annoyed with yourself. Don’t imagine that God is annoyed—as your dentist might be if you can’t get used to using dental floss! God is patient. A good parent is patient. (A good Christian is patient, too.) God, our perfect parent, will understand that you are making progress toward a deeper union with God.

Joy shared is doubled, and sorrow shared is halved. Communicate your feelings to God as you have them (“Thank you, God, for giving me this unexpected hour of free time!”). Prayers like this one, may take just a few seconds, and they will keep you connected to God. To find simple ways to pray…. simply pray!

Pastor Joyce

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