Hard Stops to Pray

The subject of consistent prayer has been nudging at me for many months now....

I have been convicted this year of the undeniable importance of being a prayer warrior momma.   As I have studied prayer and some of the pillars of the faith who have been effective prayer warriors, I have become convinced of one thing in particular.

The only thing that prevents me from praying more is me!

When I look at the incredibly full lives of women who have gone before me, all excuses for not praying consistently, sound hollow.  It sounds harsh, but I am convinced of the truth of this statement...

"The extent of prayer in ones life is a direct function of whether something else has been set up as more important than God"

Ouch....all those busy mommy thoughts that have crowded out prayer time seem to be resounding in my head....

Is the clean kitchen more important that stopping to pray?

Is this next load of laundry getting rotated more important than stopping to pray?

Is this dirty floor that needs a quick scrub more important than stopping to pray?

Is this facebook message more important than stopping to pray?

This past fall, I have experimented with an new approach to prayer consistency and I am excited in the new year to continue and to spend more time with the Lord on my knees.  I have created "hard stops" during the day.  Times during the day when the alarm sounds and it is simply a reminder to stop and pray.  My children know this prayer alarm now and will often bring my phone to me and say "time to pray mom."

The more consistent this prayer time becomes, the more I need time on my knees with Him. 

Samual Chadwick said "Hurry is the death of prayer."

I have seen this in my own life...during times of hurry, the prayer journal lies quiet.  How sad.  During the times when I need God's grace in my life most, the recounting of His grace through gifts, is quiet.  I want my children to look back over my life and see the counted evidences of grace in hard and busy times as well as times that are more comfortably structured.  

Over the past seven years, I have been filling ruled paper with prayer letters for Jordan and the children.  I am so thankful that God's evident work in their lives is not dependent on my consistency.  In the hardest seasons of life, again, the prayer journal is quiet.  I want this to be different so that the children can see God's amazing, sustaining grace in every season of life.  

So as the new year dawns, I have committed to adding more hard stops to each day.  Moments to stop, seek the Lord, renew my mind and remember His sacrifice.  

The pleasent little ring tone that goes off at 11:50 a.m. has become part of every day.  I have found that I start watching the clock and looking forward to the moments set aside to pray.  Maybe that's how Daniel felt when he knelt three times daily to thank God (Daniel 6:10). Maybe that's what James was getting at when he penned "The effective, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much (James 5:16).

If this year is my last, I want to leave a legacy of effective prayer.  So the alarm has been set.  Might you want to join me in consistently coming before the Lord at set times during the day.  He is faithful.

1 Peter 5:7  casting all your cares on Him, for He cares for you.