Its fun! It is. It makes us feel better. It makes us feel like we’ve accomplished something. It never goes out of style.
I must have been about eight years old when I discovered how nice it was to pray in church. About that time I had some challenges in school. It was third grade and science was not treating me so well since it was really the first time I encountered it. My science teacher took me aside one day and laid down the law. She told me I was a very sharp kid, but if I did not study for the tests, I would never get to where she thought I could go.
That Sunday in church I must have spent the whole service asking God to help me with science. I went over the reasons again and again. I told Him how I was a great student usually, and how it was kind of bizarre that I was having trouble with a subject. I would even lean over to my dad and ask, “Do you think He hears all of it?” After he gave me an affirmative nod, I went back to my very disciplined pleading.
As I got older, I recognized that there was a game to it. There were players involved. There were teams, if you could call it that. There were two sides and thankfully I was on the right side. But in my mid-teens, the truth of it got confusing. I felt like I did not have to carry out the missions God intended. I wanted to go after goals that were important to me: money, success, girls. But God would take me firmly aside in my prayers and He would tell me how silly that viewpoint was, and how serving Him would definitely produce more joy.
In my 20’s, I started praying non-stop. After all, if you have the power, why not use it? I would pray for folks on the street, catastrophes I saw on TV, and of course, for my friends and family. It was at this point that I really started catching onto the joy of the process. I would shake the hand of a new acquaintance, and I would follow it up with a “God bless you!”, regardless of who it was. I also got into online ministry, and I would spend several hours a week praying for people and helping with their problems. Prayer truly became a recreational, enjoyable experience.
Now I’m busy with www.PrayerRequest.com. I love helping folks there. Praying for every problem makes me feel so useful and effective. Even though my work-life is not quite where I want it to be, I can rely on the joy I get every day from reaching out to people all over the world who request my help.
My suggestion to folks who don’t pray very much? Try it....you’ll like it. :)
I must have been about eight years old when I discovered how nice it was to pray in church. About that time I had some challenges in school. It was third grade and science was not treating me so well since it was really the first time I encountered it. My science teacher took me aside one day and laid down the law. She told me I was a very sharp kid, but if I did not study for the tests, I would never get to where she thought I could go.
That Sunday in church I must have spent the whole service asking God to help me with science. I went over the reasons again and again. I told Him how I was a great student usually, and how it was kind of bizarre that I was having trouble with a subject. I would even lean over to my dad and ask, “Do you think He hears all of it?” After he gave me an affirmative nod, I went back to my very disciplined pleading.
As I got older, I recognized that there was a game to it. There were players involved. There were teams, if you could call it that. There were two sides and thankfully I was on the right side. But in my mid-teens, the truth of it got confusing. I felt like I did not have to carry out the missions God intended. I wanted to go after goals that were important to me: money, success, girls. But God would take me firmly aside in my prayers and He would tell me how silly that viewpoint was, and how serving Him would definitely produce more joy.
In my 20’s, I started praying non-stop. After all, if you have the power, why not use it? I would pray for folks on the street, catastrophes I saw on TV, and of course, for my friends and family. It was at this point that I really started catching onto the joy of the process. I would shake the hand of a new acquaintance, and I would follow it up with a “God bless you!”, regardless of who it was. I also got into online ministry, and I would spend several hours a week praying for people and helping with their problems. Prayer truly became a recreational, enjoyable experience.
Now I’m busy with www.PrayerRequest.com. I love helping folks there. Praying for every problem makes me feel so useful and effective. Even though my work-life is not quite where I want it to be, I can rely on the joy I get every day from reaching out to people all over the world who request my help.
My suggestion to folks who don’t pray very much? Try it....you’ll like it. :)