The Time of Prayer  

There’s an amazing contradiction that so many people who believe in Jesus are living out in their lives. Here’s how it goes.

On the one hand these people would love to hear God’s voice. They’d really like to know that He’s there with them and that He has some practical words of wisdom for them. That’s on the one hand. But on the other these very same people are just too busy to spend some time in prayer with Jesus.

The problem that comes out of not spending time with God is that we head off into our day and we confront all these issues and decisions and all the stuff of life… and then, right in the middle of that, we think, “Where’s God? Why isn’t He guiding me and comforting me?”

To find the answer, come and have a look at Psalm 46 with me:

“God is our refuge and strength,

a very present help in trouble. 

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change,

though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea…”

It’s a powerful truth that God is right there, with us! He is our refuge and our strength in the middle of the mess we sometimes find ourselves in. You and I, we don’t have to be afraid. 

Well that’s a great theory, but with tensions running high at work, hard-pressed on every side, running through life at a million miles an hour… how are we meant to experience these streams of joy from God? Come on!

Well, the answer comes to us in verse 10 of the Psalm:

"Be still and know that I am God." 

I don’t care who the relationship is with, if we don’t make time away from the hustle and bustle, just to connect – to get still and focus one-on-one on each other – then the hustle and bustle will distract us from the reality of the relationship with that person.

It’s as simple as that. And that’s what prayer is – getting still before God.

Friend, if we want to hear God speak into the realities of our lives, then we need to get still before Him. There’s no other way. Little by little He’ll start to speak. And day by day, we’ll learn better how to recognise His voice. 

That’s the way it’s meant to be.

LIFE APPLICATION QUESTIONS

• On a scale of, say, one to ten, where would you rate your prayer life? Is daily prayer something you’re committed to? Or do you find that you’re simply too busy to stop and pray?
• Have you ever found yourself in the middle of a stressful situation and realised that you’ve forgotten where God is? What did you do?
• So how can you take that theoretical knowledge of God’s presence with you and make it a reality that you’re actually living in? Take a moment to write down some simple steps to get you there.
• Set yourself a goal this week of spending some time, even if it’s just five minutes, before your day begins to be still with God and listen for His loving voice. Keep going, even if you miss a day or two. What is He saying to you?