Laziness

Prayer is work. 

It requires concentration, humility, collected thoughts, content, a rationale, and a purpose. We should not be surprised at all that laziness is a persistent prayer killer. Laziness certainly is a drag on every other phase of our lives, from our work lives to student lives to taking care of our homes: “Through laziness, the rafters sag; because of idle hands, the house leaks” (Ecclesiastes 10:18). Why would this “I don’t care” attitude not leach over into our spiritual lives too? If we are unwilling to expend energy to take care of material things that we can see, imagine our slowness to approach our God.

Lazy people are often completely aware that they’re lazy, but they have played some mind games to justify their torpor. That’s the value of Christian social capital—we can be a valuable buddy system for one another. Our Christian friends or family members can call us out on the fact that we haven’t gone to church in a while, haven’t been detected reading our Bible or participating in prayers. 

If you hear someone close to you giving you the business about your sluggish spiritual habits, don’t lash back defensively or mumble promises you have no intention of keeping. Let the rebuke sting your heart; let God know you want your life situation to change; and then accept the invitation from God’s agent to get moving again. 

Drop what you’re doing and talk to God right now.