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<\/a>I\u2019ll admit, my prayer life hasn\u2019t always been where it should be and even now, there is room for improvement. But after seeing some statistics, I have found that I\u2019m not alone.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
In Mr. Sprinkle\u2019s 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]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The survey says, \u201cSlightly 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.\u201d To read information the article that includes this information, click here<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Wow\u2026that is astonishing. Mr. Sprinkle puts it this way. \u201cTwo truths regarding prayer are obvious: 1) God\u2019s Word urges us to pray at all times (1 Thessalonians 5:17) and 2) By and large, we don\u2019t.\u201d[ii]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maybe we\u2019ve become disillusioned by prayer. We ask for something and we don\u2019t get it, therefore prayer doesn\u2019t work.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maybe we aren\u2019t disciplined enough to pray. It\u2019s just one more item to add to our long list of \u201cto-do\u2019s\u201d and we don\u2019t have time for it.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Maybe we feel inadequate. Our prayers are not nearly as beautiful as \u201cso-and-so\u2019s,\u201d so why try?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Are there more excuses? If you fall into the statistics above, why? What reasons are there for missing out on this time with God?<\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cPrayer, contrary to popular opinion, is not primarily asking God for things, but rather being with God.\u201d[iii]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Here\u2019s another quote. \u201cPrayer is not incessant talking to God but unceasing walking with God.\u201d[iv]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n 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\u2019s when we are walking with God.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n There is much more I could share about prayer from these two books I\u2019ve 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\u2019s Word and see what He has to say about prayer.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n So, give up the excuses. If you came up with some others above, what steps can you take to remove those obstacles? It\u2019s time to get our prayer life straightened out!<\/p>\n <\/p>\n One more quote and then I\u2019m finished. \u201cPrayer is not an option, an ornament for the well-decorated Christian life. It is to be our life.\u201d[v]<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Grace and peace be yours in abundance,<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Donna<\/p>\n <\/p>\n If you\u2019d like to leave a comment, you can do so by clicking here<\/a>.<\/p>\n [i]<\/a> Follow Me, Randy Sprinkle, New Hope Publishers, 2001, pg. 36.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
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