As Christians, we have the best intentions. We go to church on Sunday, become inspired by the latest sermon, and vow to have an intimate walk with God. We even get up early in the morning to start our day off the right way. This works for a while until life’s circumstances get in the way and we get out of the routine of spending time with God. Simply because we intend to do something doesn’t mean we will follow through with our plans.
Malachi 3:10 says, “In tithes and offerings. You are under a curse—your whole nation—because you are robbing me. Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse, that there may be food in my house. Test me in this,” says the Lord Almighty, “and see if I will not throw open the floodgates of heaven and pour out so much blessing that there will not be room enough to store it.” When we don’t give God the best of our time and money, we rob ourselves of the spiritual blessing of an intimate relationship, but we also rob God of His glory by giving of ourselves as a testimony to His lordship in our lives.
Offerings mean your time, too.
Not only does the word “offerings” mean giving ten percent of our income to the Lord, but it also means giving the first fruits of our time to the Lord. But this is easier said than done. Life demands a lot of us, from when we get up in the morning to when we go to bed. Despite our earthly demands, the Lord desires to spend precious time with us, both talking and listening for His voice. When we neglect our time with God, we are saying we are God and know best how to spend our time. When we don’t prioritize prayer, we rob ourselves of the physical, emotional, and spiritual benefits we reap when we surrender our lives to God and allow Him to be the Lord of our lives.
How do we keep prayer a priority? Here are six ways to make prayer a priority:
Just like any part of a routine, prayer must be scheduled as an important part of our day. Budgeting is essential for financial health, exercise and diet are good for physical health, and prayer is necessary for our spiritual health. Be sure to make time for it every day. For it to become a part of your routine, figure out how you work best. If you get most of your work done in the morning, then be sure to do it first thing in the morning. If you are a night owl, make prayer a part of your bedtime routine. When you make time for prayer, it becomes essential to the success of your day—like breathing. It doesn’t matter what time of day you choose to do it, as long as it becomes a regular habit.
prayer is a multi-faceted, complex subject. Prayer is not just talking to God. Although talking to God is important, prayer is not a monologue but a dialogue. God wants to speak to us, but He will only do so when we make room for Him. After we bring all our prayer requests to Him, set aside time to listen to Him. We can hear from God in many ways: from the Word of God, through other people, and in a gut reaction that’s tugging at our spirits. Once we believe we have heard from God, we must take a step of obedience and act on it. The more we act on what we have heard, the more we will become in tune with Him and hear from Him more regularly.
Instead of thinking of this as something we have to do, think of it as something we get to do. We live in a country where we are privileged to be able to express ourselves in worship in a public setting. This includes our homes, churches, and public property like school grounds. While we have the opportunity, let’s take advantage of our freedoms and use them to their maximum. Although this may feel uncomfortable at first, you will find it becomes a natural part of your life by doing it regularly.
Ask God whom He would have to strike up a spiritual conversation. It can be someone you’ve been praying for at work or a family member. Whomever it is, listen to them and their issues. You will find as you hear their stories, their wounds and fears will naturally emerge. Ask clarifying questions when necessary. Most of all, ensure they feel like you care about them, not that they are some sort of project you are working on. Plant the seeds and let the Holy Spirit do His job of bringing them to God.
In every area of our lives, God gives us free will. He never wants to control or manipulate us into loving him. He wants us to love and be with Him because we choose to be, not because we are being forced into it. In the same way, we should pray because we want to, not out of obligation or to keep up appearances. The essence of our relationship with the Lord has to do with our choices. Good choices denote a closer relationship with God; bad choices denote a distant relationship with God. Prayer is one of those good choices we can make to increase our intimacy with God.
It can be difficult to make time for prayer, but creating a quiet space for prayer might make you more intentional about prayer. It doesn’t have to be a large space to be suitable. Do you have a small corner of a finished basement not being used? You can even clean out a walk-in closet and use that. Whatever you do, God will honor your willingness to make changes necessary to fit prayer into your busy lifestyle. When you begin to make prayer in a quiet, designated space a priority, it will improve not only your spiritual health but your emotional health as well, as you will find peace that surpasses understanding as you give your burdens over to the Lord.
Perhaps you want to pray but find it difficult to sit still long enough to give God your time. Use your phone and set the timer on it. Start off with five minutes. Then increase it to ten minutes, then fifteen minutes, and so on. Your mind may wander during this short time. If it does, put a pad of paper beside your seat and write down anything that comes to you. It will give your mind—and your soul—the peace of mind to know all the tasks that must be completed for the day are written down, and you won’t forget them.
Any spiritual discipline can be hard, but it’s not impossible. However, we must make the modifications to our lifestyle necessary to incorporate prayer and make it an integral part of our lives.
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This article is part of our Prayer resource meant to inspire and encourage your prayer life when you face uncertain times. Visit our most popular prayers if you are wondering how to pray or what to pray. Remember, the Holy Spirit intercedes for us, and God knows your heart even if you can't find the words to pray.
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Prayer for Peace
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Prayer for Healing
Prayer for Protection
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