Newsletter Essay: January
Pray without Ceasing
Maybe you’ve heard the old saying that it takes 21 days to change a habit. It’s a common-sense idea that makes a valid point: If you can do anything for 21 straight days, then there’s a very good chance you can keep doing it on the 22nd day, and the 23rd, and the 24th, and beyond.
If you thought that you could establish a number of healthy habits, would you be willing to carve out a few minutes each day for the next three weeks in order to find out? If you answered yes, congratulations! You are to embark on a grand adventure. Each month I will give you a new adventure for your 21-day try-out. Let us all grow together in our spiritual growth.
Let me ask: is the habit of prayer an integral part of your daily life, or is it a hit-or-miss routine? Do you “pray without ceasing,” or is your prayer life an afterthought? Do you regularly pray in the solitude of the early morning darkness, or do you bow your head only when others are watching?
Your search to discover the abundance and peace that God has in store for you is not a destination; it is a journey that unfolds day by day. And that’s exactly how often you should seek direction from your Creator: one day at a time, each day followed by the next, without exception.
Daily prayer and meditation is a matter of will and habit. You must willingly organize your time by carving out quiet moments with God, and you must form the habit of daily worship. When you do, you’ll discover that no time is more precious than the silent moments you spend with your heavenly Father.
God promises that the prayers of righteous men and women can accomplish great things. God promises that He answers prayer (although His answers are not always in accordance with our desires). God invites us to be still and to feel His presence. So pray! Start praying before the sun comes up and keep praying until you fall off to sleep at night. Pray about matters great and small; and be watchful for the answers that God most assuredly sends your way.
The quality of your spiritual life will be in direct proportion to the quality of your prayer life. Prayer changes things, and it changes you. Today, instead of turning things over in your mind, turn them over to God in prayer. Instead of worrying about your next decision, ask God to lead the way. Don’t limit your prayers for meals or to bedtime; pray constantly. God is listening; He wants to hear from you; and you most certainly need to hear from Him.
Dear Lord, make me a person of constant prayer. Your Holy Word commands me to pray without ceasing. Let me take everything to You. When I am discouraged, let me pray. When I am lonely, let me take my sorrows to You. When I grieve, let me take my tears to You, Lord, in prayer. And when I am joyful, let me offer up prayers of thanksgiving.
In all things great and small, at all times, whether happy or sad, let me seek Your wisdom and your grace... in prayer. Amen.
Blessings in the New Year