Thinking About Prayer

Prayer is active. Prayer is something we do. Throughout our 40 days of prayer, we're building a habit to pray about everything. There are times when I have to resist the deception of only thinking about praying and reading about praying and writing about praying. I have to pray.

I use the word "deception" because of this scripture:

²²But be doers of the Word [obey the message], and not merely listeners to it, betraying yourselves [into deception by reasoning contrary to the Truth].

²³For if anyone only listens to the Word without obeying it and being a doer of it, he is like a man who looks carefully at his [own] natural face in a mirror;

 ²⁴For he thoughtfully observes himself, and then goes off and promptly forgets what he was like.

 ²⁵But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).     James 1:22-25AMP

The New Living Translation is to the point:

But don’t just listen to God’s word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves. James 1:22-25 NLT

So if I am thinking, reading, and writing without actually doing the praying, I am only fooling myself. I might wonder why I am not seeing results. Hmmm, maybe it's because I'm not opening my mouth and praying. I'm not only deceiving myself, but I'm being a fraud and a hypocrite. I certainly don't want to do that, for your sake and for mine.

Sometimes I have to come up with plans to do the simplest things. I used to have my calendar on my computer at work set so that every hour I would be reminded to stop and pray for one minute. Then I would set the Internet timer for one minute. You might be surprised how difficult it is to pray quietly at work for one minute. Somehow my mind would start wandering in less than 60 seconds. I don't set the calendar anymore because I have a different one and it would just be a mess. I have to devise a new plan. If you can think of something, let me know.

Pray with me:

Lord God, You are the one who is teaching us to pray. Help me to not fool my own self by reading about prayer and thinking about prayer without opening my mouth to pray. I don't want to read Your word and then forget what it says because I don't put it into practice. I don't want to be a hypocrite. I want to do the Word that I read. I choose to be an active listener by obeying Your truth. I want to increase my prayer life and affect change in my life and the lives of people around me. I want to increase my prayer life to know You more. Thank You for giving me a desire to pray. Thank you miracles and other answers to my prayers. Amen.