The Hardest of All the Disciplines For Me
In the intentional living thing I'm doing (I mentioned it on my last blog) I thought through what was the hardest discipline for me to maintain. I'm great at Bible study and even can fast fairly easily, but prayer kicks my tail. I don't enjoy it. I don't feel as if it's effective. It's not a priority for me many times.
You read of these great men through the years who pray all night or are known for their great prayer lives. Read some of these quotes: I have reserved 3 of the best hours of every day for prayer (Martin Luther). The sun never rose on China without finding Hudson Taylor on his knees (Hudson Taylor's Son, can't remember his name!). I read that and get depressed.
I'm not sure that's the model though. In fact all of the prayers of the Bible are short. Even the longest recorded prayer in Nehemiah takes about 5 minutes to read. Jesus teaches that prayer isn't heard because it's long or flowery.
Paul gives us the command to pray without ceasing. I'm a big fan of this. And it has for years been my primary prayer time. It's constant. It's something I actually do and it keeps me tethered to Christ all day long. All through the day, I mutter little 4 or 5 sentence prayers. The first thing I do as I'm walking to the bathroom after waking up. On the way to drop Danny off at school. As I answer emails I pray briefly for each person I email. I sometime write prayers in the emails. You know all through the day.
But these rarely are intentional. When I pray it's as I'm coming across things or dealing with things. So unless a certain request or need is on my agenda or schedule that day it doesn't get prayed about. So I'm thinking maybe once a week I'll have a prayer session. Maybe a half an hour or hour on Monday morning where I write out the major prayer requests in my life, family, my small group, church, city, etc and talk to God about them. To be honest I don't have a good attitude that this will actually become a reality. I don't want to cease praying. I also don't want to faint while lifting.
What about you? What's your hardest discipline to maintain? Why?
You read of these great men through the years who pray all night or are known for their great prayer lives. Read some of these quotes: I have reserved 3 of the best hours of every day for prayer (Martin Luther). The sun never rose on China without finding Hudson Taylor on his knees (Hudson Taylor's Son, can't remember his name!). I read that and get depressed.
I'm not sure that's the model though. In fact all of the prayers of the Bible are short. Even the longest recorded prayer in Nehemiah takes about 5 minutes to read. Jesus teaches that prayer isn't heard because it's long or flowery.
Paul gives us the command to pray without ceasing. I'm a big fan of this. And it has for years been my primary prayer time. It's constant. It's something I actually do and it keeps me tethered to Christ all day long. All through the day, I mutter little 4 or 5 sentence prayers. The first thing I do as I'm walking to the bathroom after waking up. On the way to drop Danny off at school. As I answer emails I pray briefly for each person I email. I sometime write prayers in the emails. You know all through the day.
But these rarely are intentional. When I pray it's as I'm coming across things or dealing with things. So unless a certain request or need is on my agenda or schedule that day it doesn't get prayed about. So I'm thinking maybe once a week I'll have a prayer session. Maybe a half an hour or hour on Monday morning where I write out the major prayer requests in my life, family, my small group, church, city, etc and talk to God about them. To be honest I don't have a good attitude that this will actually become a reality. I don't want to cease praying. I also don't want to faint while lifting.
What about you? What's your hardest discipline to maintain? Why?
posted by Josh Perry at
9:01 AM
4 Comments:
Me too, bro, me too.
i find myself in the same situation. i have certain things that i talk to God about daily. i sometimes think God tires of my requests but i know He truly cares about the things i am concerned about. i try to remember to ask God for direction during the day for the situations i will be in. to respond the way He would want me to. He knows what i am going to need each day so i try to focus on that when i think or say the same thing i said yesterday. the Lord's prayer was very short when He taught that. i too talk out loud or speak God's name during the day in situations i have no way how to handle. i always talk to God about my unsaved list, illness or needs in my friends or family, my business but then i draw a blank, where do i go from here? momma
why is this the hardest discipline...i really think it is
sometimes i'll find myself not praying for hours on end
and i find myself in a bind every time this happens
ah.
but i'm learning
i think we all will..one day
Mark
Beth Moore talked about this during our study this week, she said about the same things. Its daily, little conversations that get us through. Talking to him like he is right beside us, even though we can't see him. Maybe I don't recommend doing this out loud when walking down the mall, but silently, yes ;)
My hardest discipline is bible study, I just am not a studier. I never studied all throughout school. I like to read, I love reading. But to learn something like the Bible, I have to be taught, or guided in someway.
Even though I love studying the bible and usually feel refreshed and amazed, its always a struggle to begin.
Thats me!
amy lilly
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