Am I Really Praying?

The end of all things is at hand; therefore be self-controlled and sober-minded for the sake of your prayers. (1 Pt 4:7)

As some who read this may know, God has had me on a 20+ year quest to "peel the onion" on prayer. Sometimes I will realize something profound. At other times God will remind me of something I learned years ago and have forgotten. Yet my understanding of prayer rarely stays static. In part I think this is because prayer is not static and the whole thing, while simple in its basic premise, is amazingly intricate and gloriously mysterious.

Today, I write as one who has realized (again) that my praying falls woefully short. I'm not referring to the "pray at all times" measure that Paul lays out for us, although I miss that mark too. I am not thinking about balance between praising God for who He is and petitioning Him for his blessings, although my balance is quite often tilted towards the blessings. While my praying is indeed lacking both of these categories, the aspect that the Spirit is challenging me on today comes from 1 Pt 4:7. I am too busy, too distracted and too short-sighed to really pray as I ought.

Unfortunately, I have no real antidote to my diagnosis other than to simply take God's word seriously. How does Peter phrase it? Be sober minded in your prayers. That means prayer is serious, prayer is significant and prayer is absolutely necessary. As I write this, God has brought to my mind passages like Ezk 22:30 "And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land, that I should not destroy it, but I found none." and Zec 2:14 & 17 "Cry out for I..." And of course there's Jesus' words in Mt 9:38 "therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest"

So today, by God's grace, I want to start taking prayer seriously. I want to be sober minded as I approach the throne of grace. I want the incense of my prayers to be a sweet smelling aroma to God. And while I want to always have a childlike faith, I can't escape the sense that I need to "man up" in my prayers. Even as I write these words, I see the challenges and pitfalls that are ahead, not least among them is this blog. (You have no idea how much easier it is to type than it is to pray) But, in the attitude of grace-driven effort, I want to start today. I may need to start this journey a thousand times, but I am compelled to do so despite the challenges.

I pray that you may do the same.

To God Alone be the Glory