I’m working through a Bible study on prayer right now. It’s actually the third time I’ve read through the book and the second time I’ve done it as a study, this time with a group that I’m leading. The book is called “Follow Me” by Randy Sprinkle and I know I’ve mentioned it before.

I also have a book sitting here on my desk that is called “Pray with Purpose, Live with Passion” by Debbie Williams. I have used this book as a Bible study on two occasions and pick it up often to read about a particular issue.

I’ll admit, my prayer life hasn’t always been where it should be and even now, there is room for improvement. But after seeing some statistics, I have found that I’m not alone.

In Mr. Sprinkle’s book, he shared a 2000 survey conducted by George Barna which showed that in America, the average daily prayer time was less than five minutes per day.[i]

While other spiritual activities such as Bible reading, church attendance, small group involvement, volunteerism, and Sunday school attendance has increased according to a more recent survey, prayer and evangelism did not reflect significant change since the 2000 survey.

The survey says, “Slightly more than four out of five adults (84%) claimed they had prayed in the past week. That has been the case since Barna began tracking the frequency of prayer in 1993.” To read information the article that includes this information, click here.

Wow…that is astonishing. Mr. Sprinkle puts it this way. “Two truths regarding prayer are obvious: 1) God’s Word urges us to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and 2) By and large, we don’t.”[ii]

Maybe we’ve become disillusioned by prayer. We ask for something and we don’t get it, therefore prayer doesn’t work.

Maybe we aren’t disciplined enough to pray. It’s just one more item to add to our long list of “to-do’s” and we don’t have time for it.

Maybe our brains are on overload and it becomes difficult to pray. Just too much information flowing in and out for us to settle down and have some quiet time with God.

Maybe we feel inadequate. Our prayers are not nearly as beautiful as “so-and-so’s,” so why try?

Are there more excuses? If you fall into the statistics above, why? What reasons are there for missing out on this time with God?

Mr. Sprinkle offers a couple of concepts that have changed my way of thinking on prayer. Let me share them with you and see if it makes a difference for you.

“Prayer, contrary to popular opinion, is not primarily asking God for things, but rather being with God.”[iii]

God desires to have a personal relationship with you. He wants to be your BFF! God walked in the garden with Adam and Eve (Genesis 3:8) and Jesus talked about how He wants us to remain in Him (John 14:1-17). That is the relationship He wants with us. Prayer brings us to that relationship.

Here’s another quote. “Prayer is not incessant talking to God but unceasing walking with God.”[iv]

Jesus continually called the disciples to grow in faith. He does the same with us. We must trust God with everything in our lives. As our faith grows, so does our prayer time with God. That’s when we are walking with God.

There is much more I could share about prayer from these two books I’ve mentioned, but I would encourage you to read these books and then figure out how to create more communication with God in your life. But I would also encourage you to read through God’s Word and see what He has to say about prayer.

So, give up the excuses. If you came up with some others above, what steps can you take to remove those obstacles? It’s time to get our prayer life straightened out!

One more quote and then I’m finished. “Prayer is not an option, an ornament for the well-decorated Christian life. It is to be our life.”[v]

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna

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