In her Message, this instructor offered a thought that, I have to admit, hit close to home for me. She mentioned how many people don't have time for prayer because we're so busy with other things. We will delay the opportunity for prayer time - the simple 15 minutes a day - because the phone rings or we're running late or we have a guest or the interesting news story comes on or we're bogged down with extra work that day or we've got a few more things on our to-do list... (you can add your own excuses).
The instructor also talked about what happens when we skip prayer - anxiety, forgetting, worry, anger, forgetting, sleeplessness, (did I mention forgetting?)... (you can add your own here too).
Isn't it amazing how easily the tempter can get to us through the "every day things in life"?
How many times have we thought "I've got this one little thing to do...I'll get to my prayers later", only to put it off for a day, and another day, and so on?
How many rimes have you allowed the rush of the world to take over that simple 15 minutes to prayer for yourself, your family, your church, your community, your neighbors, the kids in the school... (again, add to the list as you see fit)?
Protestant Reformist Martin Luther said "Tomorrow I plan to work, work, from early until late. In fact I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer." He also said "The less I pray, the harder it gets; the more I pray, the better it goes."
So why not?
Oh, a footnote - the God-moment came when the instructor talked about the need, but simple task, of taking the 15 minutes for prayer each day. As she was talking, the bell tower chimed outside (as it seemed to do every time she spoke through the sessions). This time, after the tower chimed the time, it player music. The first song was "Sweet Hour of Prayer".
