The Habit of Prayer

This morning I got up early while everyone was still sleeping and went downstairs to pray. I had gotten out of the habit of setting aside regular, structured quiet time with the Lord in the way one gets out of the habit of exercise...missing a run here, a routine there, and before you know it you're off the wagon. I went downstairs and did some laundry, made coffee, put dishes away, ate some yogurt...but I didn't do what I had gone downstairs to do. Even as I type this I'm not praying!

Contrast this to some men I know, men strong in their faith, who seize on every opportunity with prayer. Before we end a phone conversation, it's "Well, let's pray real quick," and we go right into it. Before and after a bible study, they intentionally turn it over to the Lord in prayer. They pray before meals and before trips, in public and private, over the phone and in person. Their lives are informed by intentional prayer, and they make time for it.

Why is it so hard to pray? Why is it easier to read about prayer, or say "Our prayers are with the victims" on Facebook, or "I'm praying for you" to a friend and not actually pray, as if the declaration were the thing itself?

Truth be told, I probably converse with God in prayer more than I realize, at those little stolen moments throughout the day--in the car on the way to work, walking, etc. But I think there is something to be said for intentional time set aside in a posture of prayer so that should someone walk in on us and catch us on our knees in the act and embarrassingly mutter "Sorry!", there is no mistaking what we were doing.

Prayer is an intimate opportunity to encounter God. This is why Jesus advised those who would wish to pray to "go into their rooms, and close the door, and pray to the Father who is unseen" (Mt 6:6). Unfortunately my wife and kids are sleeping in my room as I type, so I can't go there, but there's nothing keeping me from going into another room in the house, or driving to a nearby church or chapel, or even heading up to the attic or shed.

The bigger deal I make of praying, or that I need x, y, and z before I can engage in it, the more of a production it seems, when nothing could really be further from the truth. Prayer should not be complicated, and it should not be a barrier, but it should be intentional and habitual. That's why I think the best course of action in prayer is to imitate my friends who are men of faith and seize on any moment as being the perfect time to pray. To use the old Nike adage, to "JUST DO IT." Fold your hands, bow your head, drop to your knees...whatever posture you adopt to make it clear that this is not ordinary time, but sacred time, and that it is set aside and reserved. And then just dive in. The more habitual it becomes, the more it will engrain itself in your life. Don't know how to pray? Read Luke 11:2-4, or Matthew 6:9-13 as a starting point...Jesus will teach you, the same way he taught his disciples when they asked him, "Lord, teach us to pray."

Prayer is like the oxygen in our blood. Without it our spiritual organs, our lifeline to God, is not in good shape. Prayer is an extension of our faith, a necessary component of relationship and communion, for "without faith it is impossible to please God" (Heb 11:6). We simply cannot have a fruitful life of faith if prayer and the Word are not a regular part of our lives.

Intentional prayer--prayer itself--is an action a thousand times more fruitful then reading about prayer, writing about prayer, or telling someone you are praying for them. So the next time you are tempted to send good vibes through the Universe, or to send your thoughts and prayers via social media, it's a good reminder to go in your room, close the door, get on your knees, and actually pray, even if its only for a few minutes. There is no perfect time except now.