KEEP PRAYER PERSONAL AND FRESH
TODAY’S SCRIPTURE
So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus.
Romans 8:1 NLT
TODAY’S THOUGHT
Prayer should never become a legalistic exercise. In my years of growing in my prayer life I have struggled at times with guilt over having to cut short my prayer time. There were times when I allowed life to get too busy and missed a day or two of my quiet time with God. I felt ashamed and guilty. There were even times when I felt I was just not spiritual enough.
I haven’t had many people in my life that when we talked about prayer didn’t get a bit uneasy over their struggles. Few people like to admit that personal times of prayer can be a real struggle. But the reality is that carving out time for prayer is always a battle between the flesh and the spirit.
If we aren’t careful prayer can become a legalistic act that we do to make ourselves feel better about ourselves. This is not what God intended. He intends prayer to be a joyous occasion when we talk to our loving Heavenly Father and receive direction and encouragement.
We should also be careful not to allow our prayer times to become mechanical. I normally use the Lord’s Prayer as my outline for my prayer time. While this is an excellent structure to guide my prayers it can become mechanical. I need structure to get me started but I also need spontaneity to keep it personal and fresh.
This is why I try to vary my place and posture of prayer. My most frequent prayer posture is walking. I like to walk in my neighborhood as I pray. But this can get mechanical. At other times I have a room I go in and kneel for prayer. At other times I pray in my car while driving. Other times I find myself laying before the Lord in prayer.
The variety of position helps keep prayer from being mechanical.
I also recommend using scripture to guide your prayer time. In addition to the Lord’s Prayer, I have used Paul’s prayer in Ephesians, chapter one, as a guide for my prayer times. I pray this over my life and my family—that we would be able to know God’s purposes, provision, and power.
Often the Psalms are great tools for guiding prayers. Psalm 63 is a great scripture to pray through.
The object is to not get mechanical. Keep it fresh and personal. And don’t get under condemnation if your prayer time is not perfect or if you miss a day. God is not keeping a chart to see if you prayed a certain number of hours before He answers your prayers.
TODAY’S PRAYER
Holy Spirit teach me how to be more effective in my prayer times. Help me to not slip into mechanical rituals that have no meaning or value. Help me to have a daily personal connection with You.
“Scroll down to share what you feel God is saying based on today’s reading.”
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