Spending Time in Prayer, even when it is Hard:

I have been continuing to do the work in my devotional book about prayer.  This morning was about spending time in prayer, even when it is not something you want to do.  Even though we may have the time, and we may have some issues to pray over, we can sometimes find ourselves struggling to pray.  We can find it hard to really put words and thoughts into mindful consideration of the Lord. 

There are times we simply need to spend time praying for God to give us the mind to pray.  There are times we need to pray for God to motivate us and to give us the words we need to say.  This can be when we are going through a hard time.  This can be when we are struggling with fatigue or maybe even depression.  This could be when we are simply distracted by the things of this world. 

        Sometimes we may only want to watch television or spend time on our phones.  The distractions on things like a phone are big.  They can be so distracting and so engrossing for a long period of time.  It can be hard to take our eyes off of certain apps and certain videos.  It was designed that way.  Certain apps like Facebook, Tiktok, instagram, etc. are all designed to keep us going for more and more.  They were created to keep us scrolling.  They were made to hit our dopamine hormone in our brain again and again.  

My biggest distraction is always Youtube and videos.  I love getting the chance to hear podcasts and videos discussing things happening in the world.  I usually watch them when I am eating my quick breakfast and writing in my joy journal before I do the rest of my Bible Study.  However, there are times when I just want to keep watching the video or going on social media as opposed to actually starting Bible Study and prayer.  

Is there anything you find yourself being distracted by when you are supposed to be spending time with the Lord?  Do you find yourself distracted by your phone and the messages you have received from others?  Do you find yourself ignoring the Holy Spirit when you are in the midst of watching a video?  Are you spending time thinking about what is going on in your day as opposed to talking to God? Is there anything else you find distracting?  

The challenge for this week is to spend some extended time in prayer.  This may even be if you are not necessarily feeling it.  There are times we just need to do the things we may not be incredibly motivated to do.  It is nice we do have a helper who is the Holy Spirit who will help us through lack of motivation, so even though we may lack the desire to pray, we can find strength and words within the Spirit. 

A verse discussing the Holy Spirit and prayer is John 14:26 which says, “But the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.” I love this verse because it is a reminder to go to the Holy Spirit and ask for his help.  It is a way for people to be reminded about all God has done and has promised to do in the future.  

Another thing to remember about prayer is the importance of prayer being connected with the Word of God.  When a person spends more and more time in the Word of God, it is much easier to spend time in prayer.  It is much easier to know the Lord better. When we read his commands, we can better understand how to best pray and how to best talk with God on a regular basis. 

I want to encourage all who are reading this blog post.  We can all struggle with moments of feeling far away from the Lord.  We all struggle with moments of disconnect.   This does not mean you are a bad Christian or that God doesn’t love.  This doesn’t mean you aren’t a good follower.  This is just something Satan does to discourage the believers of Christ.  We can pray to the Holy Spirit and become closer to God through our prayers.