Sunday, July 16, 2006

Stay In Touch

Pray all the time.
1 Thessalonians 5:17

Finding time to pray every day will always be a challenge for you.That's because prayer is a learned behaviour; nobody ever "masters" it.
So:
(1) Start your day right. When you first wake up say, "Lord, thanks for giving me this day. Help me to rejoice and be glad in it." ( Psalm118:24).
Then, before other demands creep in, spend time in God's Word. Let it lead you into meditation, then praise.
One woman says she prays while she walks on her treadmill. She says, "I know those treadmill-prayers work because I've experienced the answers first-hand!"

(2) Tune in to visual clues. Use your daily activities as springboards to prayer. For example, whenever you meet somebody, silently ask God to bless them. When you're showering, pray, "Lord, give me a clean heart and a right attitude" (Psalm 51:10).
When your fellow workers act badly, pray, "Lord, make me an instrument of grace, a light where it's dark."
Are these rituals?
No!
It's how you "pray all the time."

(3)Devise ways to stay focused. Ever notice how your mind wanders the minute you start praying? If that's a problem try taking a note pad and jotting down the things that are distracting you. Once your mind is clear, say, "I'll get to that later" - then talk to God. And remember,God wants to talk to you too, so sit still and listen.
What He tells you will be more important than anything else you'll hear that day. With a little planning and some commitment, you can "pray all the time." But you have to want to.

Do you?

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