Too Busy To Pray

Too Busy To Pray

Bible Text: 1kings 20vs39-40

Can you boldly beat your chest and declare that nothing could hinder your prayer time? Are you not too busy that prayer has become optional and relegated to the background?

Our text:

Now as the king passed by, he cried out to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle; and there, a man came over and brought a man to me, and said, Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ While your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” Then the king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” I Kings 20:39 – 40 NKJV

Are we not preoccupied with legitimate activities of life and religion that we forget the major reason of our calling by the master? Then He appointed twelve, that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach. Mark 3:14 NKJV

Let’s try to understand the topic.

1. The word “prayer” (in this context, personal prayer):

Prayer is simply communion with God via words, emotions, thoughts and meditation. Prayer is the major pre-occupation of any fruitful Christian life.  Prayer is a relationship; it takes time, discipline and intentional sacrifice to preserve its flame. Inconsistencies in prayer prevent us from becoming fully formed into the person of Christ. Christ is the very center of everything in God’s kingdom. And the only way a Christian can rightly prosper in that kingdom is having a prayer relationship with Christ. We behold His face and we are changed into His image. Every other activities in God’s kingdom revolves around prayer just like the entire planet revolves round the sun to receive its light and nourishment.  

Praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit…— Ephesians 6:18 NKJV

2. The word “busy.“

Busy is the root word of “business” which means a legitimate gainful/meaningless work. Business entails any effort exerted in performing a specific task or assignment in a usual designated time span with a resultant benefit or remuneration. Then the Lord God took the man and put him in the Garden of Eden to tend and keep it. Genesis 2:15 NKJV.

Back to our text  “While your servant was busy here and there” 

I Kings 20:39 – 40 NKJV

Question: Can we list some of the excuses that prevent Christians from prayer?

 Complacency; Many believers become relaxed especially when things are rosy.

The excuse tendered is because we have several things we want to do to bring money in for the family, investment, exams etc …we are overwhelmed with demands.

The phrase “what do I need to pray for when I have everything“

Absolutely! One thing is that, like in the garden, we have several things which the enemy keeps enticing us with, because many times we have forgotten that God planted the garden before He created men. He has our needs planned out, if only we would stay within the garden and maintain relationship with Him.

Therefore do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat? or What shall we drink? or What shall we wear?’ For after all these things the Gentiles seek. For your heavenly Father knows that you need all these things. But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about its own things. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble. Matthew 6:31 – 34 NKJV

One thing we must note also is how legitimate things and activities can become encumbrances to our prayer life. E.g. promotion at work or getting a new well-paying job can mean working longer hours leading to tiredness at the end of work.

We have hours to pray before marriage, but now that God has given us our spouse, taking care of the spouse and children can easily become a hindrance. Let us be mindful. “What God provides, only He can sustain”.

An American preacher once said that, at a gathering they organized to restore several pastors who had backslidden and left the church, they discovered that about 90% of them had stopped having their personal prayer and devotion but were still preaching long time before they finally openly backslid and left the church.

What does this teach us, that …The labor of fools wearies them. Ecclesiastes 10:15 NKJV.

Actually I have noticed and learned that you don’t rate a man by his teaching and exegesis but rather by his prayer life. Why? The totality of all his teachings is expected to increase his prayer life else all are done in the flesh. Our prayer life is actually our life, all the knowledge we get in the word is fired up by prayer, and it is in prayer that God conveys His heart to us.  One of the key things we are doing in God Seekers is that we are building ourselves in prayer, we cannot do anything less of prayer, it takes more than being good to walk with God, we must carry life.

We pray daily 10 – 11pm, we pray daily on Mixlr… if you don’t schedule prayer many times, it slips off, if you wish to be part of this daily prayer where we currently have over 20 people, you can reach out to us using the whatsapp link below. God bless you.

…we would give ourselves to prayer and the word…. Prayer will never jump on us but we have to give ourselves to it..we have to make prayer ..we have to model prayer

I ask my soul why it should desire talking with men, chatting with men, reading news  than with God, the response I get put me under the influence that controls my life.

In conclusion,

Let us assess our present disposition to prayer, let us look at this confession.

“I knew the importance of prayer, I knew how to pray, and I even wanted to pray. But I just didn’t pray, at least with the frequency and intensity I knew I should”- Bill Hybels

May the Lord help us. Amen