Lent Day 21, Tuesday, Mar 9, 2021

“Pray for fifteen minutes today!”

Can you do it? Can you pray for fifteen minutes? For those who don’t pray on a regular basis, this challenge will be difficult. Spending fifteen minutes in prayer takes focus and concentration. It also requires a commitment to reorganize one’s priorities for the day. Without any of these pieces in place, it won’t happen.

Why is it so difficult to pray? Perhaps the most likely reason for people not praying is their inability to hear or comprehend God’s response. Even if God’s answer was “No”, many people have expressed that they would pray more if they could discern God’s reply. Another reason some folks don’t pray could be that they don’t think prayer matters, likely stemming from the first reason of not hearing a response.

Others have indicated that they don’t pray because their environment doesn’t support it. For example, where would you be more likely to pray? Would you be more likely to pray at the hospital with a friend who is undergoing a medical procedure, at the next meal (regardless of who is with you), or at the next church zoom meeting? If your answer is “None of the above,” you are among the majority. If your answer is “All of the above,” you are a Prayer Warrior!

Yes, spending fifteen minutes in prayer today could be challenging. Prepare by saying a quick, short prayer, asking God for some direction as you plan your day. Where can you adjust your schedule for prayer? If your schedule is already full, consider that there may be no better time than right now!

Give fifteen minutes to God in prayer today!

“Immediately after this (feeding the 5,000), Jesus insisted that his disciples get back into the boat and cross to the other side of the lake, while he sent the people home. After sending them home, he went up into the hills by himself to pray. Night fell while he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:22-23, NLT)