Weak Without Prayer

Somewhere along the line, a number of years ago, I purchased a small magnet.  The kind that goes on a refrigerator.  When I say small it is only 1" x 2".  However, the message is huge.  The magnet says: Seven days without prayer makes one ‘weak’.  Isn’t that so true? 

Going without prayer is a lot like going without food.  If I am correct, most of us rarely, if ever, miss a meal.  We might eat a little late on occasion but we don’t usually miss a meal.  Generally the only people who miss meals are people who are too busy.  However, almost no one misses a second meal.  The only individuals I know who do this are on a fast.  Depending upon the length of the fast, they may miss a number of meals.  (Funny, they call it a 'fast' when time goes so slow!)

If you’ve ever missed a meal, you know what it’s like.  It is not pleasant.  Your stomach begins to rumble as its walls seem to touch each other.  And then there’s all those weird noises.  You know, the ones that are embarrassing when others hear them.  You get a little tired.  Maybe even a headache.  Perhaps you get a bit irritable, too.  And if you miss multiple meals the symptoms only intensify.  Very tired.  Bad headache.  Lots of noises from the stomach area.  The reality is that we need to eat in order to live.  If we don’t feed our bodies on a regular basis we will begin to lose energy.  Steam.  Alertness.  Go too long without food and we run the risk of having no life at all.  Period.

Going without prayer has the same effect on us spiritually.  Not quite as rapidly as with food but the same principle applies.  Skip our prayer time one day and we immediately notice it.  The peace isn’t there.  Neither is the joy.  Or the strength.  We begin to feel a little weak.  We get discouraged easily.  Problems seem bigger than they really are.  We are more prone to giving in to sin.  We become more irritable.

Now, suppose that we go without prayer for a long time.  Several days.  A week.  Is it possible that we could go a month or two without prayer?  I hope not!  Anyway, the result is that we really begin to notice the effects of it.  And so do others around us.  We can’t seem to do anything right.  Everything is a chore.  Everything goes wrong.  There is little joy or sense of satisfaction.  Life stinks.

So, why do we skip prayer?  Why do we sometimes forget about it?  Or worse yet, feel like we can get by without it?  Who knows?  Part of it is because we are too busy.  Because we don’t feel that prayer is that important?  So, we don’t make it a priority.  Another reason is the Enemy.  He will do everything within his power to keep us from the source of spiritual life and power.  Boy, does he do a good job.

The other day as I drove 7 hours to Billings by myself I had plenty of time.  Instead of listening to music or sermons as I normally do, I spent time in prayer.  A lot of it.  And do you know what?  It was good.  I enjoyed it.  You might say I ‘caught up some’.  The challenge is to carve time out of my life daily. for prayer.  Routinely.  To make it a priority.  For good, quality prayer.  Prayer that touches the heart of God.  Prayer that impacts my world.

“This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us. And if we know that He hears us - whatever we ask - we know that we have what we asked of Him.”    1 John 5:14-15

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”   Philippians 4:6-7

“The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."     James 5:16

Lord, thank you for the incredible privilege of being able to talk to You.  The Sovereign Lord of the Universe.  Anytime.  Anywhere.  About anything.  Help me not to neglect this great privilege.  Help me to pray.  Often.  And Hard.  In Jesus’ name, Amen.