A man must listen with his heart to hear which trail calls truest.”
–Russell J. Atwater (Gallatin’s Last Stand)
“Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
–Jeremiah 29:12 (NIV)
————————————
“The poor will see and be glad–you who seek God, may our hearts live!” –Psalm 69:32 (NIV)
Prayer–that needed Christian discipline which we all should be involved in is often so hard, or seemingly so. We are given instructions by the Lord that men must always pray and never lose heart. Some versions read: not become discouraged, never give up, not to faint–in other words keep at it.
Far too often we pray in the wrong manner, we pray selfishly or against God’s will. “And even when you ask, you don’t get it because your motives are all wrong–you want only what will give you pleasure.” (James 4:3, NLT) The ESV puts is simply, “You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.” Is it wrong then to pray for yourself? No, but we must carefully look at what we are praying for and make sure that it is not against God’s Word or that it will not bring spiritual harm to us.
We are instructed by Paul to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17). To do this we must be walking with God, able to have a conversation with Him along the way. It is staying in an attitude of prayer. This is not intercessional prayer, though it might contain it at times. This is simply walking with the Lord and talking with Him about circumstances, about issues, about life. This should become our daily practice.
However, there is a time to get shut in with God and seek His face. This may include praying for others (intercessory), praying for your pastor, for missionaries, for friends and families. This is “tough” prayer. Do you ever find your mind wandering when praying in this manner? Do not fret. First, check to see if it isn’t the Holy Spirit bringing something to your mind. If not, try what Fenelon tells us, “When you see your mind wandering, bring it back gently without being upset, and without ever being discouraged by these distractions which are stubborn. On the contrary, they will help you more than a prayer which brings with it very evident comfort and fervor, because these distractions will humble you, mortify you, and accustom you to seek God purely for His own sake, unmixed with any pleasure.”