Skip to main content

Devotion to Prayer

"Devote yourselves to prayer; stay alert in it with thanksgiving." Colossians 4:2

Prayer has never come naturally to me. I have always felt awkward in prayer for some reason. Over the past year, I have finally come to the conclusion that in all my years as a Christian, I have never really learned how to communicate with God properly. Not that I haven't made valiant efforts. I have had beautiful prayer journals. Sections for specific days and topics. I have written out my prayers (I still believe that helps me concentrate). I've used all the acronyms and prayer plans. But in the end, I look at it all and think, "If one of my friends communicated with me this way, I would toss them out the door." Some days I feel all I do is bring my wish list to God - admirable though it may be - and ask and ask and ask. For now, I'm done with asking.

Color me ecstatic when I learned our little Bible study between online Bible studies was going to be on prayer!

The verse at the top of the post from Colossians is one of our focal verses this week. It is the end of Paul's letter to the church at Colossi and he is asking for prayer for himself and for the word of God to go out.I can't say that verse two had ever jumped out at me before, but this time I saw with fresh eyes.

Devote. Dictionary.com says this means to concentrate on a particular pursuit, occupation, purpose, cause; to set apart or dedicate by a solemn or formal act; consecrate. The Amplified Bible reads like this, "Be diligent and unwearied and steadfast in your prayer (life)...". The Message says, "Pray diligently..."

My prayer life has to be intentional. I have to concentrate on it. While sending up short prayers during the day are necessary and good, I can't rely on that totally. I have to consecrate or dedicate myself to this act of communion with God. Like Mary in yesterday's post, I have to sit and listen. I can't just run in with a list of wants. I have to set apart a time and a place to have a conversation - talking AND listening. Preferably, more of the latter.

Stay alert. Alert is also defined as being "fully aware and attentive'. Once I dedicate myself to this pursuit of deeper prayer, I can't go about it haphazardly. I can't have the television on at the same time I'm talking to God. I can't be keeping one eye on the internet. I need to go into my closet and pray. (Matt 6:6) I must be fully aware and attentive, sitting at his feet, listening in order to hear what he has to speak into my life.

One word that caught my attention from the Amplified Bible was "unwearied". The thought of being weary in prayer resonated. Possibly because my prayers had become so much requesting and I seemed to receive so few answers, that I just got tired of trying. Beginning now, I am starting over. Getting back to basics, so to speak and learning all over again. My main goal is not to see tangible results, but to know him better. Then if  I remain in him and to have his words remain in me whatever I want will be done for me because it will be what he wants too. (John 15:7) 
Labels:

Comments

  1. JustMeJuly 6, 2013 at 2:08 PM

    Hi Judie, this is such a beautiful post. Once we really open our hearts to communicate with our Father God, He will direct us and meet us. I some much love when I'm just in God's presence. There is a feeling that beyond anything of this earth when I take that kind of time to be in God's presence and seeking "Thy Kingdom come; Thy will be done. You are heading the right direction dear sister.
    Love and prayers,
    Barbara P. (OBS Small Group Leader)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Jill BeranJuly 6, 2013 at 3:52 PM

    Great post Judie! This verse has been one of focus for me as well! Praying it will become more real in my life as we journey on in this study! Blessings to you, Jill

    ReplyDelete
  3. AnonymousJuly 6, 2013 at 8:58 PM

    I love the stay alert idea... this is an area I also need to focus on. In my prayer space... without the phone so I don't hear the ding of a new email or facebook post... that in itself distracts my mind. Why do we think we can multitask when talking to God!?

    ReplyDelete
  4. AnonymousJuly 7, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    Judie, I love this post!! This is EXACTLY what I'm hoping to get from this study--I send up the short little requests and prayers all day, but don't do the quiet time the way I should. Thanks for sharing!!

    Kris Danko (OBS Small Group Leader)

    ReplyDelete
  5. Lauren July 7, 2013 at 3:04 PM

    Awesome post! I have always struggled with prayer, too... being intentional and focused. It's so easy to get distracted! Pray diligently- never stopping. Never giving up! Thank you for sharing!

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousJuly 10, 2013 at 6:11 PM

    I love sitting and listening to God, I find so much peace in just being in His presence! I participate in silence and solitude daily, it took me a while to get use to it though. Love your post! ~Martha

    ReplyDelete

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Leaving Your Nets

Matthew 4:20 "AT ONCE they left their nets and followed Him (Jesus)."  Matthew 4:20 records the response of Peter and Andrew to the call of Jesus to be his disciples. They literally walked off the job and into ministry. We have the advantage of viewing this story with hindsight and the scripture, but Peter and Andrew were in the moment... Jesus was a hometown boy, a carpenter. He hadn't really started his ministry, yet. Surely he had been preaching in the area and the disciples knew what kind of man he was. But still... Fishing was a major industry around the Sea of Galilee and most fisherman belonged to family owned business. Can you imagine old Zebedee's face when somebody walked in his "office" and told him Peter and Andrew had taken off with the new preacher? How do you go home and tell your wife that you walked off the job for a ministry with no pay? How do you feed your kids? Their security was gone. Their income was gone. Possibly a few r...
15 comments
Read more

Love's Pure Light

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life." John 8:12 I have a confession.  I have been more than a little 'bah humbug' this year. I don't really know why. We are settled in our new house this year. Grandkids have come and gone and are still coming and going. It's been a beautiful, tropical Florida Christmas season. We did a great program at our church. And, yet, I'm just not feelin' it...  Until tonight. Tonight was our annual Christmas Eve candlelight service at church. It is undeniably one of my favorite services every year and is always packed. Tonight was no different.  During the weeks leading up to the holiday, our pastor has been preaching a series of sermons called "The Light of Christmas" from the first chapter of John. Our Christmas musical was also themed around the light. And tonight, I saw the light. Because I was singing with our Praise...
9 comments
Read more

Mary, Mary, Never Contrary

"As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, 'Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!' 'Martha, Martha,' the Lord answered, 'you are worried and upset about many things but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her.' " Luke 10: 38 - 42 No one has ever accused me of being a Martha. Don't get me wrong. My house is clean - sort of - and I can cook you a great Southern meal if you come over for dinner. I just hope you feel at home enough in my house to get up and refill your own sweet tea. (Glasses are in the top cabinet to the left of the stove) I believe I have always had a...
6 comments
Read more