By: Mark Nelson – NEM Training Staff
Have you ever felt too busy to pray? Well, there is hope!
I have found the habit of prayer difficult to develop. I depended on others to maintain my prayer time because I struggled to develop my own discipline. In my late twenties, I finally felt like I had achieved a “rhythm” for prayer with Jesus. However, I was completely thrown off my horse when I became a stay-at-home dad. “Prayer time? How do I escape the kids long enough?” 😉
Life started moving fast and our toddlers seemed to have a natural gift for tiring us out. So, I asked, “What now, God? I can’t pray like I used to.” God assured me that He was still present. God understands your situation and His mercy is tremendous! Know that He will lead you to regain (or gain) a prayer life.
Our Lord is honored that you would be willing to struggle to remain in prayer!
God not only knows your struggle, He also ordains it. You do not have to feel guilty. Struggling to grow in intimacy with God is a good and worthwhile struggle! God will guide you and me through this season of life.
3 Basic Tips:
1) The Holy Spirit! – We must remember, we cannot achieve holiness with our own strength, it must be the sanctifying grace given by the Spirit. (Read Philippians 1:6)
- Ask God for help to make Him present.
- Start each day (& prayer) by imploring the Spirit’s help, and then repeat that prayer throughout your day. It can be simple: “Come, Holy Spirit. Fill my heart with your peace and your love.”
2) Be okay with change. As your life changes, your mode of prayer may also have to change! Do not be afraid to open yourself to a new methods or time of prayer. During these busy years, prayer becomes more about making Him present in the daily activities.
- Ask a friend what works for them.
- Perhaps you pray for 20 minutes in the middle of the night when God awakes you.
- Perhaps you sing worship songs while doing household chores.
- Perhaps the whole family has a quiet/nap time and you head to your prayer chair, light a candle, and pray for the strength to stay awake in prayer. 😉
3) Plan, Do, Check, Adjust. Having a game plan is key! Without a plan, we are bound to miss the mark.
- Plan: write down your game plan for prayer.
- Do: execute the plan.
- Check: how is the plan working?
- Adjust: what can you tweak to make it work better.
A Final Word of Encouragement
Never stop fighting for your prayer life. Learn to depend on God’s strength. He will always help a hungry heart. You will receive your just reward. (Go to 2 Timothy 4:7-8)