March 16 | Dedicated to Prayer

Series | The Life of Prayer and Heart of Worship 

Scripture | Matthew 26:40, “Then he returned to his disciples and found them sleeping. Could you men not keep watch with me for one hour? he asked Peter.”

Lesson 16 | Dedicated to Prayer

Have you ever fallen asleep while praying?  I don’t mean falling sleep in bed while praying and fellowshipping with God- but rather when you were supposed to be praying you went to sleep?  There was a time in our church when we committed to pray from 5am to 8am four days a week.  I cannot count how many times I feel asleep on the floor!  Sad but true, I probably slept more than I prayed!

So often just like the disciples we do everything in life with all of our energy and when it comes to prayer we give God the last bit of energy we have and fail to really pray with power and passion.  At the same time, I’m not advocating we set up a strict set of rules with a time card and “clock in and clock out” for God in prayer.  However, I do want to challenge you to give God your best in prayer.

Consider the following ways to be dedicated to God in prayer, (1) Pray consistently everyday, (2) Pray at times when you have energy and focus to really spend quality time with God, (3) Try to pray for extended amounts of time (because I believe much of the first part of our prayer times is spent just clearing our mind of all the thoughts and concerns of the day), and lastly, (4) Pray with passion and purpose by the power of the Holy Spirit.   

I believe just like in the passage above Jesus is looking for prayer partners, will you pray with Jesus today?

Reflection | When is the best time for you to pray with passion and purpose?

Action | (1) Set up times each day to have a consistent prayer life that is full of energy and passion. (2) If you miss a time to pray, repent, and move forward without condemnation.  (3) Lastly, grow deeper in your walk with God by dedicating to praying at times that works best for you and your schedule. 

One Year Reading Plan (Optional) | Numbers 24:1-25:18, Luke 2:1-35, Psalm 59:1-17, &Proverbs 11:14. Click here to read online.