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Prayer Life - Part 2 - maintaining our prayer life
Once we have found our prayer life we can't expect it to just sit there for the rare occasion we might want to use it. Not only do we need to use it often but it needs to grow. Of course anytime that we feel a need to talk to God, He is there. To get the most benefit and the fullest life, a consistent prayer life is needed. The more consistent, the fuller our life will be.
After we have found that perhaps a prayer life is a good thing, let's look at James 1:6 But when you ask for something, you must have faith and not doubt. Anyone who doubts is like an ocean wave tossed around in a storm.
We have to have faith that God will deliver. Maybe not in the way we are expecting it. In the prayer given to me years ago, one line said "I asked for courage and God gave me dangers to overcome". It would be so simple to feel like every time that we pray something else bad happens. "I asked for courage and here I am with a flat tire on a dark road scared half out of my mind", never realizing that your courage, just like any muscle in your body, is being strengthened by being exercised. Once we learn to pray without ceasing these things will be apparent to us.
Once there was a man ready to leave his house for an important interview and couldn't find his keys. After searching his house everywhere and starting to panic he said "God, please help me find my keys. If you help me find my keys I will stop drinking, cussing and will be in church every Sunday". About that time he looked down and saw the very edge of one of his keys sticking out from under a chair. Quickly he says "never mind God, I found my keys myself".
This is not the way we are to be. If we are in communion with God on a full time basis then we will know without a doubt when God is at work in our lives. We would have never gotten to a point of panic and there would be no need for "making a deal" with God. Life simply becomes better.
I find that either at the beginning of the day or the end of the day works best for that one on one alone time with God. Actually both are best.
I was thinking about something that I used to say to people. I go to sleep talking to God and when I wake up I am talking to God. For all I know I am talking to Him all night. That used to make a point with some people and get a laugh from others. This was way back before I ran from God in 2002.
While sitting here preparing for this, it became apparent to me that the talking to God as I am waking up in the morning is extremely important. Some of the personal issues I am dealing with sometimes face me at this time. I have no doubt in my mind that once I get back to "praying without ceasing" as prescribed by Paul and this does include the very first thing as I am waking up, my life will be fuller. Some of the issues I deal with attack greatest at this time and if my focus is on God, I feel no doubt that these issues will not be such a deal anymore.
Oddly enough I have often referred to these issues as my demons. Early in the morning before we are fully awake, we are an open target for issues that want to pester us. It kinda sets the tone for the entire day if we entertain our demons first thing. Likewise a tone of peace and calm is set when we begin the day, as we first start to wake up, talking to God. If we continue the day by praying without ceasing our days will be brighter, our nights shorter and our demons quiet.
Whether it be life in general or a specific problem, taking it to God will surely make it better and again, consistency is important.
God works.
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