When You Pray...

Jesus instructs us where to pray, but he never tells us when to pray.

Scripture only gives one or two general guidelines. Psalm 4 reads as a prayer to say at bedtime, (the Jewish day starts in the evening, Genesis 1:5), ending with the words, "I will lie down and sleep, for you alone, Lord, make me dwell in safety." And Psalm 5 seems to be a prayer for the beginning of the day; "In the morning, Lord, hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you" (Psalm 5:3). This is developed one stage further in Psalm 55:17 where the psalmist says they are calling out to God, "Evening, morning and noon."

But, although we are not told when to pray, we are exhorted to pray "in the Spirit, on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests" (Ephesians 6:19).

So the answer to the question, "When should we pray?" is: Give God your best time of day.

If you’re a morning person, then give the Lord the best and pray in the morning, (perhaps just after you’ve gotten dressed, and before you have breakfast).

If you’re the sort of person who’s full of energy at night and you usually go to bed in the early hours of the morning, then give God the best and pray in the early hours of the morning!

Some people’s days are so full of activity and demands - they might be caring for others, perhaps several young children, or someone with special needs - that they are doing very well if they get five minutes alone with God each day.

But even if it’s hard to make time to pray, Jesus promises that the Father sees those who make it a priority, and he will reward you (Matthew 6:6)!

My friends, this is the great secret of Power in life and in the Kingdom. It is God who gives life through Christ and all who learn to dwell in the Presence of the Lord are changed and empowered by Him. Over the past forty years of leading churches, I have watched this again and again and again. I know that many find prayer difficult. They try but don’t seem to get anywhere. But God does give strength to pray and this help comes through the Holy Spirit.

So, "we meet with God", by going into a room where we can be on our own at a time of day, (or night) when we are in best form, and praying openly and honestly to our Heavenly Father who sees what is done in secret.

These two things – the place and the time that we chose to pray – are the foundational Holy Habits of all Kingdom discipleship.