Overcoming TimiditySample

Timidity in Prayer

I almost wanted to label today’s message as, “Laziness in Prayer.” How many times have you sat down at dinner and prayed the exact same prayer? When you pray, do you catch yourself asking for the same things over and over again? One thing I caught myself always praying for was safety. I would pray, “Jesus keep us safe this week as we continue in your will and chase your plan for us.” Seems harmless, right?

I’ve recently noticed, when I’m praying the same prayers over and over, it’s usually because I’m on “auto-pilot” in my prayer life. What if instead of praying for safety, that I prayed for more of God’s presence? I should desire God’s presence more than safety. I wouldn’t have the exact same conversation with one of my friends every time I talk to them. That would be weird, right? Yet we think it’s okay to have the same conversation over and over again with the creator of the universe. 

As Christians we need to spend less time in the same prayer we have memorized. Our God wants to hear from us, but He also wants to speak to us. We spend so much time saying the same prayers that we don’t listen. Our Father is always with us. He is always speaking to us, maybe we should take the time to listen. 

Focus: Let’s skip the same memorized timid prayer today. What do you really desire in this life? The creator of the universe is always listening, He’s always gracious, and He will always love us. Pray courageously today! Pray universe-size prayers! Spend time listening to what God has to say specifically to you.  You may be surprised at what He has in store for you!