Something to think about…
"Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed." ~ Mark 1:35 Are you a morning person, or are you the kind of person who thinks “Good Morning” is an oxymoron? If you are anything like me, once you are finally conscious and relatively ready in the morning, you are already inundated by the innumerable activities of the day.
With four young children at home, my days usually begin with waking grumpy kids, making sure they're fed, repeating myself at least a million times to motivate them, responding to texts, checking social media, getting a little louder because they are still not ready and it was time to load up five minutes ago, trying to make sure we didn't forget something, thinking about all the tasks that have to get done in the next several hours, which usually seems impossible; of course, this is all before we have even walked out the door. Once the children are safely at school, it is time to attack the long “to do” list.
Each day is also filled with several interruptions, distractions, and surprises that primarily come through that little glowing rectangle I keep in my pocket.
Before I know it, we are sitting down for dinner and then off to some evening activity. When we are back home for the night, it is time to get kids ready for bed. I really wish someone would have told me parenting is primarily arguing with a smaller version of yourself about why they need to brush their teeth and how to use the bathroom. Those who don't think God has a sense of humor don't have children of their own.
When the last one is in bed, animals are fed, and the house is finally quiet, I slump into the couch completely exhausted. My first thought is that I have to get up and do it all over again tomorrow. But often, as I reflect on the day, I also realize it was so full I barely took time to pray.
Are you too busy to pray? I read a book many years ago, and the title still resonates with me. The book was entitled, “Too Busy Not to Pray”. The busier our lives become, the more critical it is that we intentionally set aside time to connect with God.
Though He walked this earth before the “modern age”, Jesus was also inundated by the busyness of life and ministry. The relentless needs of others consumed much of His time, but He recognized the importance of keeping prayer a priority. He got up early in the morning to Pray First.
If Jesus needed to pray before He faced the challenges of the day, how much more do we need to take time to connect with our Heavenly Father. As Jesus taught us, “Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well.”
I'm convinced if we don't intentionally seek God first in prayer, then we will find ourselves drifting along with the current of this world. It reminds me of what Jim Cymbala once said, “If we call upon the Lord in prayer, He has promised in His Word to answer. If we don't call upon the Lord, He has promised nothing – nothing at all. It's as simple as that. No matter what we preach or what we claim to believe in our heads, the church's future depends upon our times of prayer as a church.”
That is why we are currently focused on Paul's clear call in 1 Timothy 2:1,
"The first thing I want you to do is pray." Don't become too busy to pray. Let's follow Jesus example, and be a people who always pray first!