Sometimes prayer gets the least amount of our attention. We spend hours a day scrolling on our phones, texting, emailing, listening to music, watching TV, talking to others. But too many daily distractions rob us of precious time with God—time when we can share our deepest thoughts and concerns or thank Him for blessings we received (without even asking) or acknowledge answered prayers.
Having a conversation with God through prayer draws us closer to His presence and love. It opens our hearts and minds to new possibilities or simply guides us on our spiritual paths—especially when we are troubled. A few minutes of sharing our pain and brokenness with Him instills calmness and peace.
There isn’t a day that if I don’t intentionally stop all activities to pray, then it doesn’t happen. And, yes, somedays I pray on the run. But when too many days go by without intentionally setting aside time with Him, I feel something is missing. That’s when I know I need to return to the discipline and joy of prayer.
I recently read a devotion in Walking in Grace about a man who, at the request of his wife, went to a hot yoga class. It was much harder than he anticipated. He looked around and saw ladies and, yes, some men stretching in a room heated to 90 degrees. All he could do was pray and ask God to get him through the class. And it worked! He continued to take the class but also to use his stretching time for prayer. So how and when we set aside time to pray is different for each of us. For me, I find that taking a walk is a good time to pray.
So if you find yourself distracted and busy with little time to pray, you are not alone. But instead of feeling guilty, just start praying again. Commit to a time in your schedule. Stop everything and talk with God, even if it’s just for a few minutes. The day will begin to improve, feeling sweeter and better, full of more hope and calm. Prayer is a daily gift for the taking.
