"...The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective. - James 5:16(second half of the verse)
I believe an important step to an effective prayerful lifestyle is to find a place where you can be alone. I know this can be difficult for different groups of people especially when I think of my friends who are mothers and have to juggle the responsibility of motherhood and home-keeping.
Here is the thing about the busyness of life : if we become slaves to our busy lifestyles (whether you are single, married, have kids,etc) there will always be no time to pray. This is why there has to be some sort of sacrifice. This may mean, forfeiting 30 minutes of your sleep in the morning or cutting other activities we can do without. It may mean that when the baby wakes you up in the middle of the night to nurse, after he or she goes to sleep, you spend an extra 20 minutes just talking to God. In my experience, I find that if you really, really, really want to do something, you will find the time and the place for it.
"Why do I need a place alone ? God hears us regardless of where we pray." This is absolutely true ! No matter where we pray God hears us. But I am talking of a deeper walk with God. Any married person will agree with me that an important part of marriage is making time to be intimate with your beloved. Those intimate moments are also private moments where you get to know your beloved better.
Finding time to spend alone in God's presence in prayer is the best investment of time you will ever make ! I have lived it and I know it. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself understood the importance of separating Himself from His disciples so that He could talk to the Father. Hence "in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark 1:35). Jesus found a solitary place to commune with God. What practical steps will you take to be alone with God ?
I believe an important step to an effective prayerful lifestyle is to find a place where you can be alone. I know this can be difficult for different groups of people especially when I think of my friends who are mothers and have to juggle the responsibility of motherhood and home-keeping.
Here is the thing about the busyness of life : if we become slaves to our busy lifestyles (whether you are single, married, have kids,etc) there will always be no time to pray. This is why there has to be some sort of sacrifice. This may mean, forfeiting 30 minutes of your sleep in the morning or cutting other activities we can do without. It may mean that when the baby wakes you up in the middle of the night to nurse, after he or she goes to sleep, you spend an extra 20 minutes just talking to God. In my experience, I find that if you really, really, really want to do something, you will find the time and the place for it.
"Why do I need a place alone ? God hears us regardless of where we pray." This is absolutely true ! No matter where we pray God hears us. But I am talking of a deeper walk with God. Any married person will agree with me that an important part of marriage is making time to be intimate with your beloved. Those intimate moments are also private moments where you get to know your beloved better.
Finding time to spend alone in God's presence in prayer is the best investment of time you will ever make ! I have lived it and I know it. The Lord Jesus Christ Himself understood the importance of separating Himself from His disciples so that He could talk to the Father. Hence "in the morning, rising up a great while before day, he went out, and departed into a solitary place, and there prayed" (Mark 1:35). Jesus found a solitary place to commune with God. What practical steps will you take to be alone with God ?
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