Growing up in
church we sand a hymn, “Sweet Hour of Prayer”. I have struggled
with this concept of measuring prayer as an hour achievement. I
tried to pray many times for an hour but failed. I felt defeated.
In my effort to
pray daily I no longer try hard for an hour. Instead what helps me
is the practice of short spaces of time with God through out my day.
These intervals may be 5 or 10 minutes to renew my focus on my
Lord.
One break is to
read the Upper Room and pray the suggested prayer. Another pause is
to read a Psalm and ponder one key verse where the Lord is speaking
to me. A short look around outside at God's marvelous creation is
prayerful for me. This helps me hear the birds and notice the beauty
of our Lord's flowers. It helps me praise Him for His wonderful
works. When I catch myself in worry I take some gratitude moments
to notice how good my life is and express thanks.
These interspersed
prayerful moments help me to stay focused on the day as God's gift
and my need to honor Him. Zechariah 4: 10 encourages me to give my
small intervals to God, “For whoever has despised the day of small
things shall rejoice.”
When I practice daily
these small things I experience the renewing touch of the Spirit of
God.
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