Don’t Stall

Reportedly, when someone asked George Mueller what the most important part of prayer was, he said, “The fifteen minutes after I have said, ‘Amen’” (David Guzik). If you’re anything like me, this quote feels a bit jarring. Wait a second. I’m just here hoping to pray better and literally just skipped over praying?

The truth is it’s really easy to end our prayer time, get up, and go on our merry way. There’s a disconnect between our prayer lives and our real lives. Yep. I heard it too. Our prayer lives are our real lives. But how often does our prayer time direct our next steps?

When we pray, we’re often looking for a few things, maybe some peace and clarity. Maybe we’d even name something pretty holy-sounding like just wanting to soak in God’s presence. Those are all good things, but if we aren’t ready and willing to obey, we’re basically just open to a second opinion. Let’s hear him out, we think to ourselves. 

The truth is obedience can feel disconnected from prayer. You either pray or act, right? But more often than not, prayer precedes action. And perhaps our prayer lives have gone quiet because we forgot action is a vital part of prayer.

As I read a book by prayer warrior Evelyn Christenson, the words that caught my attention were the least spiritually sounding words of the entire book, but they had me highlighting and taking notes. Here they are: “I’m taking Marion to lunch.”

Evelyn was part of a prayer group that had spent time praying and praying for the salvation of someone they knew, a woman named Marion. As they closed, Evelyn said these words to the group.

Her whole story was overflowing with answered prayers and opportunities, and I can’t help but assume it’s because of this very sentence and many more like it. When God asked her to do something, she didn’t hesitate.

It excites me to think of what the Lord will say to us in prayer when he knows we are ready and willing to obey after we say, “Amen.”

Is there something you’ve been praying about that you need to act on today?

Pray: Father, give me a heart that has no will of its own. Make my desires your desires, God. I long to tune my heart so closely to you right now that, as I get up, I can confidently say, “I will walk in obedience.” In Jesus’ name, amen.