“The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” (James 5:16)
One of problems with a series of columns on the same subject is everyone doesn’t read my column from week to week. Therefore, I have to restate some of what I said in the interest of clarity and continuity. Of course, the two previous columns covering the six of the seven habits of highly effective Christians may be read on my website, www.devotions.com.
So far, I have discussed six key habits that I consider paramount in the life of a Christian: trustworthiness, humility, a forgiving spirit, church attendance, cheerful giving, and knowing and applying the Word of God. This week is all about prayer. In the end, it literally defines how close of a relationship we have with God.
Why is prayer such a hard thing to sell to a Christian? If you stop and think about it, it was prayer that got each of us into the Kingdom to begin with. “If you confess with your mouth the Lord Jesus and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation…For ‘whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved.’” (Romans 10:9-14)
In spite of its importance, many Christians freely admit that they do not spend enough time in prayer. Indeed it is a habit that is very difficult to develop and to sustain.
The Barna Group noted in a 2007 survey that 83% of Christians surveyed said they had prayed in the last week. But the real questions are how many times and for how long? I can only use myself as an example. Prayer is a habit I have but it’s not developed as fully as I would like. In other words, I do not pray enough and when I do pray, I do not pray long enough. I simply need to learn to devote more time to what I consider to be the most important habit of highly effective Christians.
Here are my recommendations for improving your prayer life:
1. Don’t just pray daily. Pray several times a day. Muslims pray five times a day. It just doesn’t make sense for faithful Christians to pray only once per day.
2. Learn to say table grace again. Yes, you will get some strange looks in this post-Christian world. But it’s a great way to incorporate more prayer into your life; and why not thank God for what he has given us. It seems the only time we talk to him is when we want something.
3. Don’t tell someone you will pray for them. It’s one of life’s biggest lies and very unbecoming for a Christian. When someone requests prayer, stop and pray for them right where you are. You will likely eliminate at least one lie from your life and will be amazed at how your friendship with them will blossom.
4. Finally, pray when you are in the shower. Who said you could sing anyway? This is a great way to build a great habit and cleanse yourself – inside and out.
There is no more important habit than prayer. It brings us closer to God and is the difference between being seen as religious and having a personal relationship with Christ. Walter Mueller said it this way: “Prayer is not merely an occasional impulse to which we respond when we are in trouble. Prayer is a life attitude”.
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