Several
times recently I was forced to analyze my time and create a new schedule for
how to spend my days.
Okay,
I wasn’t forced so much as I jumped at the chance to create a routine for
myself. And tweak it as needed. Because I am one of those. I enjoy a schedule.
A
change in season does that to us. The
weather changes and new chores reveal themselves. Kids return to school and more hours are
found in the day to do things, to get things done. Projects left idling in the last season become
priorities.
My
schedule is loose, but includes some of the same things every day. Chores and meal prep. Exercise.
Devotions and Bible study.
Reading. Writing. Kids’ activites.
It
is a full schedule, one that keeps me busy but that which has room to wiggle
and move, add and take away as needed.
Eventually I am going to have to do some Christmas shopping. Someday I will have to get my hair cut.
For
the most part, the days are filled. And
mostly, I am sticking to the schedule.
But
something is missing.
Do
you see it?
Time
with God. I am not praying.
I
don’t know how that got away from me.
Any good Christian worth her soul knows that prayer time is essential to
growing in faith, to spending time wisely, to getting deeper with God. When we honor God, he honors our lives.
That
is not to say that God isn’t honoring my life.
I believe he works through me just as he worked through Mother
Teresa. My activities might not be as
well known, but his power in me is there just the same.
But
I haven’t been thanking him. Praising
him. Asking him specifically for guidance
on a regular basis.
When
people say “Pray for me,” I do. When
someone shares a difficulty with me, I give that to God right away. I tell them that I’m praying, and I mean
it. But I don’t do a bang-up job of amassing
all those prayers together in one big prayer pile. Mainly because I have a horrible memory and
know that I would miss the opportunity to help others through prayer if left to
my own devices.
But
also because I don’t carve out enough time to spend with God in prayer.
I
believe that I need to. I believe that
God is telling me to do this. He is
leaning on me. He is showing me the
times that I can do this. I have minutes
all day long to do this. He is reminding
me that prayer time need not be hours on end, doing nothing else but meditation
in those hours. I am not a monk.
Although
I have to admit that lifestyle appeals to me a little.
So
today, I will pray. And hopefully
tomorrow, too. God is telling me to put
that in my schedule, between and among all the other things I have deemed most
important this season. I’m not sure what
that will look like. Likely it will not
be hard to fit those minutes of prayer time in.
But
I am confident that the result of finding that time will be apparent in my
life, and it will be amazing.
*******
Dear God, thank you for revealing to me my need for prayer. Please help me to make time spent with you a priority. Thank you, Amen.
This is crazy, I could have written this post. I have never been what you might call a prayer warrior, and lately it's been moving my heart. I've felt off. After hearing a compelling sermon on Sunday, I decided that starting this week, continuing indefinitely, I am getting up earlier and going on a 15-20 minute prayer walk. It is so refreshing I can't help but wonder why I've been missing out on this (babies tend to mess with routines). I hope I can stick with it and that you find a similar rhythm. Thank you for sharing this, friend!
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome, and thanks for the encouragement! I love when someone can relate to what I'm going through. Makes me feel like we're just where we need to be. :)
DeleteUgh...I'm right there with you. It's not that I don't want to...need to...but I am so bad at making it a priority like any other thing. You know, we read all kinds of articles about scheduling time with our kids, time for ourselves, time with our spouses...why doesn't God get a slot on the daily planner page? Perhaps when I do my week tomorrow, I'll pencil Him in. Thanks.
ReplyDeleteI have a hard time staying accountable. When there's something tangible to be done, I'm much better. I need to focus on how much better praying regularly makes me FEEL than anything else.
DeleteLet me know how your week goes. :)