Tho'ts on Prayer Time

I've been thinking a lot about prayer - especially since SMBC is holding its first annual "Prayer Emphasis Month."  Prayer:  The act of communicating with a deity (especially as a petition or in adoration or contrition or thanksgiving).   

 

Communication goes two ways.  It is a process wherein there are two parties with a message being passed from one to the other.  All effective communication is two-way.  There is the message that one may wish to transfer, but to be sure the transfer has been accomplished, clarification, confirmation, and completion must accompany this transfer - meaning that there must be feedback.

 

It is no different when talking with God.  All too often we talk to God but only believe He heard us without the feedback.  We want Him to hear from us, but we don't want to hear from Him.  Reasons may vary - sometimes we are afraid of what He will say.  Other times we doubt He will say anything.  Yet, often enough it is because we are rushed and don't take the time any more than we do when we leave messages for our family members in the hustle of the day. 

 

This is not the Lord's will for us.  We should be cognizant that the root word of communicate is "commune."  That means togetherness, unity, and companionship.  It means time; time spent listening as well as sharing.  And the term sharing is key, too - sharing means together with a common thing - be it time, emotions, vision, goals, concerns, or what have you.  Taking that time with God means sharing your emotions, time, vision, goals, concerns, etc. with Him and caring about His emotions, time, vision, goals, concerns, etc.  It is a way of showing the Lord that you love Him.  I suppose if our prayer lives were used as an indicator of the level of love we Christians have for the Lord, we would be ashamed, embarrassed, and guilty of saying we love Him with our lips, and denying it with our lives.

 

Such thoughts move me to consider the depth of my own prayer life.  I am convicted by my own thoughts - how little time I actually spend in prayer, and how little time I spend communicating, communing, and listening to my Lord, my Love.  I plan to spend more time in prayer - today.  Will you?