Pray FirstSample

DEVOTIONAL

If you stop and think about it for a minute, you can probably recall specific conversations which required you to plan ahead. An important discussion with your partner about finances. A meeting with the school about your child. A challenging conversation with an aging parent or a sibling. For moments like these, we often feel stressed about how the other person will react to our words. To ensure the best outcome possible, we take time to plan ahead what we’re going to say, or we rehearse it out loud.

Pastor Chris Hodges reminds us in today’s video clip that even in prayer we shouldn’t always wing it. He says, “it’s important in every relationship to go into it with a plan of the conversation you’re going to have.” Even your relationship with God.

Jesus also taught that planning ahead is important. In a discussion about the cost of discipleship, Jesus said: “Suppose one of you wants to build a tower. Won’t you first sit down and estimate the cost to see if you have enough money to complete it? For if you lay the foundation and are not able to finish it, everyone who sees it will ridicule you, saying, ‘This person began to build and wasn’t able to finish.’” (Luke 14:28-30)

There’s no doubt that spontaneous prayer is also part of an active prayer life. The Bible is full of examples of followers of God who prayed spontaneously. However, the ability to pray spontaneously doesn’t contradict the idea that preparing for your prayer time is good for your relationship with God. It’s both, and. We can both pray spontaneously and plan ahead for times of prayer.

Take the principle of planning ahead from today’s reading into your prayer life this week. Be diligent in your preparation as an act of worship and enjoy a deeper connection with God.

REFLECTION

When was the last time you prepared for prayer time with God?

Take a moment and write a list of the things you should remember to pray about on your phone or on a piece of paper. Are you surprised by anything you’ve written down?

What would you need to do to create a plan for prayer?

PRAYER

Dear God, thank you for desiring a strong, authentic relationship with me. Thank you for the intimacy that is reflected in spontaneous prayers. You are always close. Thank you, also, for the commitment that is reflected in intentional, planned conversations. You are steadfast and dependable. I bring these things to you in prayer today ______. (Pray over the items written on your list.) Amen.