How much do you pray?

   

“And they continued steadfastly in the apostles’ doctrine and fellowship, in the breaking of bread, and in prayer.” (Acts 2:42)     “Remember, no one has time to pray, he has to take time from things that are valuable to understand how necessary time for prayer is. The thing that acts like thorns and stings in our personal life will go away when we pray; we won’t feel the smart anymore, because we have got God’s point of view about them. Our devotion as saints is to identify ourselves with God’s interests in other lives. God pays no attention to our personal affinities; He expects us to identify ourselves with His interests in others.” Oswald Chambers (Glory)      I received an email update from The One Cry Movement that included an article by Del Fehsenfeld III on prayer. Here is what Del, senior editor for Life Action Ministries’ Revive Magazine, had to say about a conversation he had with Matt Bennet, founder of Christian Union:    “How much do you pray? Matt’s’ eyes stayed fixed on me. I felt my face flush slightly, and a series of justifications raced through my mind. I had given years to catalyzing spiritual vitality in my ministry vocation. Why was he singling me out? But Matt wouldn’t let me off the hook until I answered the question. ‘Del, when and how often do you pray?’ I had never been asked that pointed of a question related to prayer. Bible study, small groups, moral accountability, church attendance, service—all had been emphasized. But a life of prayer?     I tried to cover for the alarming and surprising answer that welled up within me: My prayer life largely consisted of distracted prayers during personal devotions, hurried sentence prayers during the workday, public prayers during meals, at church meetings, at my children’s bedtime. Oh, and an occasional season of intense prayer in response to a crisis.     Suddenly, the stark reality hit me like a ton of bricks. My prayer life was pathetic! Weak. Random. Irregular. Inadequate. Quite frankly, embarrassing.Matt could sense my discomfort. He wasn’t condemning, but he wouldn’t drop the issue. ‘I’ve been asking a lot of Christian leaders around the country the same question.’ He said quietly, ‘and your response is similar to every individual I’ve spoken to.’ Prayer is clearly not a way of life for many Christian leaders. The proof is in our calendars.’ Matt went on to tell me many things that day. About the morning and evening prayers that characterized the rhythm of Jewish life in the Old Testament, and appears to have remained the practice of the apostles and the early church. (Dan. 6 :10; 1 Thess. 3:10; 2 Tim. 1:3) ......About the remarkable relationship historically about the practice of extraordinary prayer and the outpouring of the Spirit in revival.......     My head was spinning, and honestly I could barely listen. Two questions were hammering in my brain: “ Why don’t I pray? “And even more troubling, “ Why hadn’t I even noticed?” I left that day determined to explore and develop new rhythms of prayer. Since then, I have put concentrated periods of corporate prayer with several Christian coworkers into my schedule due the work week. My wife and I have initiated and continue to fight for quality times of family prayer as a core aspect of our family. And prayer is becoming a natural part of what happens when we gather with friends for meals and fun.      In the process, I am learning that almost anyone, even a non-Christian, is usually encouraged by a sincere offer to pray for them. In all of this I consider myself to have just begun. A life of prayer is renewed on a daily basis. But I can say this: what began as a conviction became a choice that has become an adventure and a delight.    Prayer is a gift, a context for living our lives for God. Prayer is a portal, a means of experiencing God’s presence, provision, and power. And prayer is a partnering—it’s a way that the rule and reign of heaven is established in and through our actual lives. So let me ask you—Matt style: How much do you pray? PRAY  1.Lord fill me with Your Spirit today and give me a desire to spend more time today in prayer with You. 2.Help me to be faithful to rise up early, to truly spend time seeking to know You better and to close out my day fellowshipping with You. 3.Help me to spend more time with my wife/husband, my children, my fellow saints, and with strangers who need someone to pray for them.