Why Don’t You Pray?

Thistlebend Quiet eMoment

by Laurie Aker

Focus Scripture: Luke 6:12-16 ESV

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray,
and all night he continued in prayer to God.  
13 And when day came, he called his disciples  
and chose from them twelve, whom he named apostles: 
14 Simon, whom he named Peter, and Andrew his brother,  
and James and John, and Philip, and Bartholomew,  
15 and Matthew, and Thomas, and James the son of Alphaeus,  
and Simon who was called the Zealot,
16 and Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot,  
who became a traitor.
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Why don’t you pray?

How did you answer yesterday?
What keeps you from praying as much,
or as diligently as the Lord
would desire, or as much as you
really want to be praying?

Did you answer unbelief?

Might it be unbelief or doubt?

Our faith and our true belief is evidenced,
not in what we think in our minds,
feel in our hearts,
or say with our lips,
but in how we live our lives.

What do your actions say about your belief?

Do you need to confess any sin of unbelief, doubt, or fear?

Charles Spurgeon said:
“Do not dishonor your Lord and Master
by unworthy doubts and fears;
but be strong in faith, giving glory to God.
Show the world that your God is
worth ten thousand worlds to you.”

When you have resolved in your heart that you
want to pray, you may still find yourself not
praying as you would desire.

TAKING GOD’S WORD TO HEART

You must pray.
You must seek the Lord to make a plan.
You must set forth a course and with God’s grace follow it.

You may need to stop doing something, or do something less,
in order to make time to pray.
Less television, less Internet, less talking, less sleeping,
less staying up too late, less shopping,
less worrying, less complaining, less… ?

You may need to start doing something in order to pray.
If you want to pray in a way that is effective and sustainable,
you might need to get a steno notebook or prayer journal and
write out a prayer list for each day of the week.
If appropriate, write next to each name or item
what you need to be praying for.

You might write your prayers on 3×5 cards
if you would want to walk and pray.
One card for each day.

You might need to use a three-ring binder with tabs.

You might even want to
look up Scripture that you would pray for each person.
Then, compile these Scriptures in an orderly fashion.
You might want to write them out in your journal.

Whatever would be best for you,
whatever would keep you faithful and diligent in prayer,
set forth and resolve to do it

James 5:16, KJV
The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man  
availeth much.

Make the most of your 5-10 minutes
or your 20-30 minutes of prayer
by being ready and prepared and planned.
Regardless of how you do it, make a plan and do it.
Not in your own strength.
Not lackadaisically.
But diligently and faithfully.

And, once you have sought the Lord
to set forth a course and a plan,
ask the Lord to grant you His grace to follow through.
Ask the Lord for His strength
to resist the devil and draw near to Him.

Look to the Lord and fix your eyes on Him.

Seek to follow Him.

MEDITATE or MEMORIZE

Write out the following verse from Luke 6 and recite it 3 times.
Take it with you throughout the day.

12 In these days he went out to the mountain to pray,
and all night he continued in prayer to God.   

PRAYER

Father, please cut through the excuses that we make
to not pray. Draw us into your presence.
And hear our cry.

In His hands for His glory,

Laurie
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