A Time to Pray
Hello Saints,
I have been enjoying a Christmas gift given to me, which consists of a subscription to Audible, whereby I can download and listen to books while I am walking, biking, driving in the car, etc. The joy has been to “read” some of the old classics by my favorite authors of yesteryear, great influential saints like Saint Augustine, Jonathan Edwards, and Andrew Murray to name a few. Recently I have been listening to a book by the prominent 19th-century American evangelist Dwight L. Moody, entitled Daniel, Man of God: Being a Man of Character in a Babylon World. Regarding Daniel’s commitment to live totally for God, even at the cost of his life, Moody is referring to Daniel’s prayer life when he makes this statement: “If you have so much business to attend to that you have no time to pray, you have more business than God ever intended you to have.” Daniel prayed three times per day, with the window open facing Jerusalem. This was his daily routine in which he would stop everything, kneel down, pray, praise and thank God (Daniel 6:10). Do I need to say that men had conspired against Daniel to get King Darius to pass a law that no prayer was to be offered to any god but to King Darius only (6:7). You know the story… praying to anyone but the king would land you in the lion’s den. Immediately after the decree was passed, Daniel went to his room, got down on his knees and prayed to the only God, his God, Yahweh…with the window open for all to see and hear! The royal officials were jealous of Daniel’s success and wanted to do away with him. Daniel’s devotion to God earned him favor with the king and a reputation, “he was faithful, and no negligence or corruption was to be found in him” (Dan. 6:4). Communion with God was Daniel’s way of life and nobody or nothing was going to take that away. No threats. No Fear. No People Pleasing. No Influence. No compromise. What Resolve! God first! On your knees before your Creator! What a lifestyle! Here is the quote again, “If you have so much business to attend to that you have no time to pray, you have more business than God ever intended you to have.”
Are we carving out a time to pray – to meet with the Lord, commune with Him, hear His voice. Are our busy North American lifestyles getting the best of us? When I heard Moody’s quote on my walk, I obviously remembered it for a reason. Honestly, I am not a busy person, in the sense that I am always doing something. But I am a busy person when I am always thinking, pondering, wrestling in my mind, worrying, fretting, contemplating problems, issues, etc. One must not always be doing something to be “busy” – our minds can be busy with all kinds of things. Do you remember Jesus’s words to Martha, “Martha, Martha, you are worried and troubled about many things” (Luke 10:41). Think about it…God is in her midst and she is, “distracted with all her preparations” (10:40), while Mary is sitting at Jesus’s feet (10:39). Martha is ‘busy’ watching her sister do nothing, and she is getting angry about it. But Mary; what of Mary? Jesus says, "One thing is needed, and Mary has chosen that good part, which will not be taken away from her" (10:42). There’s a time to work and a time to rest, and when it’s communion with the Lord time, that’s the better choice – don’t let anyone or anything rob you of that time with Jesus. “One thing needed” – will we give priority to that “good part” that is the best and only choice, when our world seems to be falling apart as in Daniel’s case. Prayer, intimacy with the Father has got to be a regular part of our day/lives, and it must be guarded for the enemy loves to find a way of making us busy so we neglect to keep the “main thing” the main thing.
The world we live in is busy – we live in cities that never sleep. “Do not be conformed to the patterns of this world but be transformed by the renewing of your mind” so that you can know God’s will! (Rom. 12:2). One way to renew our mind is to dedicate time for prayer – quieted, undistracted communion with the all-knowing God of the universe. “Be still and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10). Reconnect to the vine, the source of true life, especially when things are difficult. “It is useless for you to work so hard from early morning until late at night, anxiously working for food to eat; for God gives rest to his loved ones”(Psalm 127:2 NLT). “Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest" (Matthew 11:28-29). Jesus invites those overwhelmed by the busyness of their daily lives to find comfort and peace in Him.“The Sovereign LORD, the Holy One of Israel, says, ‘Only in returning to me and waiting for me will you be saved. In quietness and confidence is your strength” (Isa 30:15 NLT). There seems to be ample exhortation from God to come and find rest in His presence. He holds the answers to every problem, and holds our future in His hands, no matter what man has planned to do to us. Pause and Pray! Unwind and unload your burdens onto a loving, capable God. Bind the busy and loose the lazing in His presence. Rest and release your cares, for He cares for you (1Pet. 5:7). Is it possible to prioritize prayer over busyness? Is it possible to pray 3 times a day – putting communion with God first? Is it possible to get through a busy life without prayer? Stress and anxiety lead to a host of problems; but communion with God is the “one thing needed” to make it to the finish line: “Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches. Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit. For apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5 NLT).
“Don’t fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God’s wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It’s wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life.” (Phil 4:6-7 MSG)
Have a blessed week!
"Advancing the Kingdom of God by releasing Spirit-filled followers to serve Jesus in freedom and joy."
Leave a Comment