Make Prayer A Habit

Luke 5:16 New International Version (NIV)

16 But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.

Habits are powerful things. We form our habits, then our habits form us.

So this year are you going to stop talking about it, and make it a habit to spend time with God in prayer each day?

If your desire is to be like Jesus, you must begin to pray regularly, for He ‘often withdrew to lonely places and prayed’.

Don’t let the word ‘lonely’ intimidate you. Once you cultivate an awareness of God’s presence, you’ll prefer His company to that of anybody else.

Don’t let the word ‘withdrew’ intimidate you.

Just shut off your TV, your computer and your mobile phone and you’ll make a wonderful discovery:

Psalm 16:11 New International Version (NIV)

11 You make known to me the path of life;
    you will fill me with joy in your presence,
    with eternal pleasures at your right hand.

 John Wesley said,

‘I have so much to do that I must spend several hours in prayer before I am able to do it.’

 Martin Luther said,

 ‘Prayer is the most important thing in my life. If I should neglect prayer for a single day, I should lose a great deal of the fire of faith.’

 The hymnist wrote:

‘Sweet hour of prayer, sweet hour of prayer, that calls me from a world of care. And bids me at my Father’s throne, make all my wants and wishes known.

In seasons of distress and grief my soul has often found relief, and often escaped the tempter’s snare, by thy return, sweet hour of prayer.’

When the disciples asked Jesus about prayer, He began by saying,

Matthew 6:9-15 New International Version (NIV)

9 “This, then, is how you should pray:

“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
    on earth as it is in heaven.
11 Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
    as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]    but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’

14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.

Footnotes:

1. Matthew 6:13 The Greek for temptation can also mean testing.
2. Matthew 6:13 Or from evil; some late manuscripts one, / for yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen.

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