PSALM 27:8 – You have said, “Seek my face.” My heart says to you, “Your face, Lord, do I seek.”

THEME OF THE DAY. THE CHRISTIAN LIFE AND PRAYER. Not a single Christian would deny the place of prayer in the Christian life. And not a single Christian would deny the challenge of maintaining a Biblically-consistent prayer life. So many things in life compete for our attention and time robbing away sacred times for prayer. These foes will pressure us away from extended prayer. In fact, in the busyness of life, prayer, not Bible reading, is normally the first sacrifice placed on the altars of the urgent and temporary. Prayer is the first spiritual discipline, first neglected, then slain, by the tyranny of living out a way too fast, way too busy, and way too full life.

So, how do we overcome this challenge when it comes to an effective and intimate prayer life with the Lord? Three things. First, a confession; then a definition followed by an understanding.

The confession. Time for an honesty check. We simply cannot ever say, “I don’t have the time for prayer. My days and responsibilities in this season of my life just don’t allow me to build a close walk with the Lord Jesus through prayer.” And we simply cannot say those things because they are not only untrue, but are self-justifying our neglect. Every one of us. Yes, every one of us may get as close to the Lord as we want in prayer. Think about it. Was anyone busier than Jesus? May we say that we have more demands upon us than Him? What about the Apostle Paul? No. We cannot. And if we want to reveal to ourselves with forceful reality, evaluate how much time we spend checking emails, on our smart phones, scrolling Facebook, watching television or movies, giving ourselves over to social events and activities, and pursuing personal interests in hobbies and recreation? We simply must confess that the weakness or neglect of a Biblically-defined and practiced prayer life is by choice, personal choice. That leads to the definition . . .

How would we define prayer? As we each mull over our answers, here is one by John Bunyan, the author of Pilgrim’s Progress, which is hard to improve upon. Bunyan defines prayer as, “Prayer is a sincere, sensible, affectionate pouring out of the soul to God, through Christ, in the strength and assistance of the Spirit, for such things as God has promised.” There are two things striking about this Biblically-sound definition of prayer. First, it is a “no holds barred” approach to addressing God, not in irreverence, but in confident child-like sharing of openness, sincerity, and affection. There is no vain repetition in true prayer. Nor are there scripts to recite. This is intimacy. The other striking feature of this definition is the Trinitarian emphasis. In prayer, the Christian is keenly aware of the work and presence of the Godhead in prayer. The child of God is addressing the heavenly Father through the way He has directed – His Son – with the assurance of help in doing so – the Spirit. We need a recovery of Trinitarian Christianity in our lives and churches, not in profession of belief only, but in practice, particularly in prayer.

Now the understanding. Prayer is not primarily about asking God to give us things or do things for us. Granted, there is nothing wrong with praying such petitions, but prayer is not focused there first. If we pray primarily asking God for things or to do something in our lives, goodbye relationship, so long spiritual intimacy and welcome cold mechanical praying more interested in God’s power acting than God’s Presence enjoyed. In today’s scripture, we see from the heart of God and the response of His child, the chief aim of prayer – seeking God’s face. Prayer is about knowing God; experiencing God, and getting close to Him. And if we learn the lessons in today’s nugget, putting them into our lives, we will discover prayer as God intends for us. May He help us confess our neglect of prayer, define it Biblically, and practice it for the chief reason He gave it.

PRAYER: “Father, help me to see prayer as foremost a “relational privilege” to spend time with You.”

QUOTE: “Safe guard your prayer life by studying the prayers of the Bible, especially Jesus’. Shape them by His.”