Too Busy Not to Pray

“I have so much to do today that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” ~Martin Luther

I’ve beenin one of those hectic seasons of life. Overwhelmed with the busyness of movingand being without stable lodgings for six weeks, I grew weary. My life became adisorganized mess. As I focused on my to-do lists rather than seeking thepresence of God, things only grew worse.

I snappedat my family. I missed paying bills on time, which was costly. In short, I lostmyself because it had been too long since I’d slowed down to spend time insolitude and stillness.

Too soon, a gulf grew between God and me because I wasn’t nurturing our relationship. My hurried prayers bounced off the ceiling and fell onto my lap. I wasn’t receiving from Him because I didn’t slow down long enough to receive.

We have tobe still to feel His presence, to hear His voice. We find our way to our ownsouls in stillness. Our clearest thinking happens in solitude with God. I gotlost because I didn’t close the door on the distractions.

I’ve beenaround long enough to know that the busier I am, the more I need to take timeout to “be still and know” Psalms 46:10. And as Martin Luther noted above, asour busyness grows, so grows our need for prayer. And yet, I’d allowed mycircumstances to squeeze out my quiet time.

It was enough to send me in search of a book I read several years ago: Too Busy Not to Pray. Written by Pastor Bill Hybels, the book has stood as a classic on prayer. It changed my prayer life then and led me to the practice of written prayer.

Another read of the book was in order. Through this scripturally-based guidebook, I was reminded to pray regularly, pray privately, pray sincerely, and pray specifically. Besides showing us how to pray, Hybels helps readers understand the significance of prayer in a Christian’s life. If you’ve ever wondered why some prayers go unanswered, two chapters deal specifically with this topic.

Needless to say, my relationship with God was restored as soon as I devoted the time to sit in His presence. To be still. And quiet. That is the nature of God. He never leaves or forsakes us. Not even when we forget how to pray.

“For God alone, O my soul, wait in silence, for my hope is from him” Psalms 62:5-7.(ESV)

A gulf grew between God and me because I wasn’t nurturing our relationship. My hurried prayers bounced off the ceiling and fell onto my lap. I wasn’t receiving from Him because I didn’t slow down long enough to receive. Share on X

How do youslow down and find stillness when life gets frenzied? Do you have a book or anactivity to recommend?