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Transcript:
Hello, welcome to Walking in Step with God. I am Steve McDonald. Today we are talking about being a person of prayer. So what does that mean? As an example, when we say to be a person of integrity, we mean that a person is living their life in such a way that embodies honesty towards others, taking responsibility, and showing kindness.
When we say a person of prayer, I believe we are referring to someone who has embraced the importance of prayer and has made it a fundamental component of their relationship with God.
Today we are going to discuss 3 ways to be a person of prayer. Let us learn how prayer and time with God can strengthen our connection with and reliance on God.
Before we dive in, let’s take a quick break. I will be right back.
Welcome back. Let’s continue discussing 3 ways that we can be a person of prayer.
#1 Stop ‘trying’ to be a person of prayer
I know you must be thinking – wait a minute, I thought that was the whole point of today’s message. Well, it is – but let me explain. In this journey of integrating prayer into your life, I want to say upfront that there are no rules or regulations. There are no strict standards for you to follow. There is no passing or failing grade. There should be no stress or angst.
The first thing I want you to know is that if you feel as though you are ’trying’ to be a person of prayer is to stop ‘trying’, relax, and be at peace. When I say to be a person of prayer, I simply mean to explore ways to pray to God that feels most comfortable for you. Being a person of prayer is not a command, it is an invitation to be with God in a way that nourishes your soul and your spirit. There should be no striving or stressors, simply learn how to best make 1:1 time on the regular with your Creator.
#2 Make a plan to spend time with God
As I have said many times over many messages, one of the most important things you can do in your walk with God is to make time to spend with Him. God seeks an intimate relationship with all of us and I find that in creating time for God can be very similar to the ways you prioritize and make time for friends, family, and loved ones – even our pets! If we can make time for a BFF, surely, we can make time for our Creator.
I would also say that time with God does not have to be complicated or rigid. You can make time for God in just a few moments or many minutes. As with all relationships, the more you make time for God, the more you will get out of the relationship.
While it is certainly not required, I would recommend considering a structure or routine so that it can become a part of your day-to-day life. I will share an example of what works for me. I learned that making about 30 minutes of quiet time with God first thing in the morning shortly after I awake is a great start to my day. I then have several alarms on my phone throughout the day to give me a prompt to stop and take a few moments to check in with God. These check-ins may simply be a word of thanks for something that happened 10 minutes ago, or I may ask for strength or courage about something that is coming up soon. At the end of my day, I take time to read Scripture, journal, and pray. Lastly, I take a few minutes to pray before I go to bed. This may sound like a lot, but all told it is probably less than one hour per day. I will also say, this is a structure that works best for me. It is a structure that evolved over many years. Why so much prayer in my life? I learned that the more I pray, the more aware I am of His presence. I feel closer to God now than I did when I may have only prayed once before bedtime.
How often you spend time and how you spend time with God is completely up to you, but I do feel comfortable in saying that I believe the more time you spend with God, the closer you will feel to Him and find yourself even anticipating your time with Him.
#3 Be present in your time with Him
In this digital age, we are constantly bombarded with distractions. It can be tempting to consider time with God as a task or a to-do, especially over the course of a busy day.
When you do spend time with God, I want to invite you to be present for these moments. I mentioned a moment ago that a relationship with God certainly shares aspects of your relationship with others. How do you think a loved one would feel if they were spending time with you and you were scrolling through cat videos on social media?
I want to invite you to be present with God when you do make time for Him. Put the electronics and potential distractions away or on mute. Do your best to clear your mind of ever-present thoughts, but don’t worry if you cannot. Speak to God during this time, but I also invite you to listen.
It is in these times with God that we have an opportunity to hear God, not in the sense you and I speak to one another, but feeling and sensing God in the silence of our minds. It is in these times of quiet and calm that we can be most receptive to having things placed on our hearts that would have otherwise been difficult to receive.
Wrap Up
In today’s message, we learned of ways that we can become a person of prayer. We discussed that being a person of prayer does not and should not involve any stress or pressure. That there are no prescribed rules or regulations. That being a person of prayer simply means that prayer is a fundamental part of your relationship with God.
We also discussed the importance of coming up with a routine or structure to pray and spend time with God that feels right to you. We discussed that there is no ‘minimum’ amount of prayer each day, but as with all relationships, the more time you invest, the more you will receive out of the relationship. The more time and space you allocate for connection with God, the more you will realize His presence in your life and in fact, may eventually grow to anticipate your time with Him, just as you would with a loved one or dear friend.
Lastly, we discussed the importance of being present when you do have time with God. The digital distractions should be muted and we should do our best to clear our minds as we prepare for our time with Him. No worries though if racing thoughts are difficult to suppress. God’s grace is enough for these times.
Being a person of prayer is not a difficult thing to do and it has so many benefits. If you want to strengthen your relationship with God and experience all that comes with intimacy with God, I encourage you to make time for Him in prayer each and every day.
Are you interested in discovering more about the guidance offered in this message? Learn more in the companion article Going Deeper with the Word: Be a Person of Prayer
