{"id":3035,"date":"2015-09-13T09:00:19","date_gmt":"2015-09-13T14:00:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3035"},"modified":"2015-08-10T17:07:58","modified_gmt":"2015-08-10T22:07:58","slug":"choose-to-make-prayer-a-priority","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/barbdahlgren.com\/?p=3035","title":{"rendered":"Choose to Make Prayer a Priority"},"content":{"rendered":"

A Year of Choices…<\/em><\/p>\n

By Barbara Dahlgren from Barbara\u2019s Banter at\u00a0www.barbdahlgren.com<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u00a0\"Make<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Martin Luther said, \u201cTo be a Christian without prayer is no more possible that to be alive without breathing.\u201d\u00a0 Yet that\u2019s what many try to do.\u00a0 They call themselves Christians but they do not pray.<\/p>\n

The Bible is full of exhortations to pray and examples of God\u2019s followers praying.\u00a0 The book of Psalms shows us that David, a man after God\u2019s own heart, prayed often. He prayed when he was happy, when he was sad, when he was discouraged, when he had doubts, when he was thankful, when he woke up, when he went to bed, and all throughout the day.\u00a0 No wonder Paul told us to pray without ceasing. (1 Thessalonians 5:17)<\/p>\n

Jesus spent a great deal of time in prayer. (Matthew 14:23, Mark 6:46, Luke 6:12, Luke 9:28, etc.)\u00a0 If Jesus who was the Son of God felt a need to pray, how much more should we feel that need?\u00a0\u00a0 We would be wise to follow his example.\u00a0 (1 Peter 2:21)<\/p>\n

Prayer is not something we do when a bolt of inspiration hits us or when we feel like it.\u00a0 Prayer should be a priority and something we do whether we feel like it or not.\u00a0 God created us to be in a relationship with Him.\u00a0 Prayer is the conduit to building that relationship.\u00a0 We can\u2019t build a relationship with someone we don\u2019t spend time with.<\/p>\n

Here are some excuses (not reasons) why people don\u2019t pray\u2026<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t think they have time<\/strong>.\u00a0 Of course, we know this isn\u2019t true.\u00a0 They just don\u2019t want to take the time.\u00a0 Studies show people spend hours and hours a day watching TV, surfing the Internet, looking at Face Book, emailing, texting, twittering, and so on.\u00a0 So time is not really the issue.\u00a0 Priority is the issue.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t think it\u2019s necessary<\/strong>.\u00a0 Jesus thought it was necessary.\u00a0 If it was a priority for Jesus, it should be a priority for us.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t think it makes a difference<\/strong>.\u00a0 It does.\u00a0 Time Magazine has published several articles in the past 10 years explaining the healing power of prayer.\u00a0 They may not fully understand it, but they admit it exists.<\/p>\n

They don\u2019t know what to say.<\/strong>\u00a0 Prayer is merely conversation with God.\u00a0 Sometimes it\u2019s asking for help but most times it\u2019s talking to God about everything that\u2019s happening in our lives and the lives of those we are close to like friends, relatives, and co-workers.\u00a0 It\u2019s thanking God for each and every blessing.\u00a0 It\u2019s acknowledging His greatness.<\/p>\n

Consider this\u2026 Prayer is not some magic bullet aimed at God\u2019s heart to coerce Him into giving us what we want.\u00a0 Those who approach prayer this way will always be disappointed. \u00a0Prayer is to help us align our will to God’s, not the other way around. \u00a0God knows what’s best; we don’t.<\/p>\n

\"Don't<\/a><\/p>\n

We need to make prayer a priority.\u00a0 In other words, we need to be praying every day.\u00a0 If we don\u2019t, we won\u2019t have much of a relationship with God.<\/p>\n

Suggestions for practicing this choice\u2026\u00a0 <\/strong><\/p>\n