by Rev Douglas Brauner

Grasping the importance of prayer.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.

And after he sent the crowds away, he went up the mountain by himself to pray. When evening came, he was there alone.
Matthew 14:23 New English Translation

Truth be told, I am NOT a prayer warrior.

Prayer takes a great deal of work for me as it seems that I always have something else to do. In fact, I wrote this devotion after I had finished reading the story of the Syrophoenician woman, whose daughter was healed by Jesus because of her persistence. Encouraged by that reading, did I pursue God in prayer? No. I posted today’s Praying With The Eyes blog on Facebook and then realized that I needed to write this one.

Besides writing this blog, I have a lot to do today.

• I have a meeting with the president of the congregation.
• I have to finish my sermon for tomorrow.
• Not to mention that I HAVE to take my camera for a hike and shoot two rolls of film.

I have so much to do that there’s no time for prayer.

Black Forest Regional Park, Colorado

Does that sound familiar? I’m guessing that it does for many of us. We see prayer as having to make the “strenuous” climb, up the hill, to the bench in this picture. It seems like too much effort. Besides, prayer seems like a waste of time. There is nothing I produce in prayer that I can hold in my hand, or post on Facebook.

It’s funny that we might see prayer as a waste of time, but we don’t see spending time with our friends, children, or spouses as a waste of time. I know that we struggle to be with the people we love too, but we at least acknowledge the significance of that time. However, the time that we spend sitting on the park bench with God is even more valuable.

Jesus’ life blood was the time he spent in prayer with his Father withdrawn from the community.

May God not merely change our behavior, but our attitude. May we hunger to spend time with God as if it were the most important part of our day, even if we can’t hold any product in our hands when we’re finished.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado