CAPA Corner: Pray Even More!

All of us are very busy.  When you get so busy does your prayer life suffer?  If you’re like me, the answer to this question, too often, is “yes”; my prayer life, when I am busy, too often will get neglected so I can concentrate on getting the things done in my “busy” schedule.  Well, this is NOT the way it should be.  It should be just the opposite.  As my schedule gets busier I should be praying even more!

Consider the Lord Jesus Christ.  We can’t help but be amazed at how Jesus prayed as we read the Gospel accounts.  With all that Jesus did you would think He didn’t have very much time to pray.  But that is exactly why Jesus prayed the way He did!  Jesus knew He could not accomplish God’s will for Him or accomplish ministry without God’s power if He didn’t spend time – long periods of time – praying to His Father in Heaven, daily and probably continually.

In Luke 5: 15-16, we read that as word about Jesus spread more and more, the more the crowds came to hear Him and to be healed by Him.  With the crowds growing, with their needs pressing harder on Him, and with His ministry ever increasing, we read in Luke 5:16 (NIV), “But Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.”  Once again, we need to follow Jesus’ example.  When life presses harder and harder on us, and when our lives get busier and busier, we desperately need to pray more and more.  However, I am afraid that we often cast aside our personal, private prayer time because we think we are just too busy.  But as Jesus did, when we are going through busy and crazy times in our lives, we need to double our prayer efforts!  We need to be engaged with the Lord even more in prayer, so that we stay on track with Him and for Him.  How are YOU doing with this?  Do YOU need to be praying even more right now?  If you’re like me, the answer is “yes”; I need to be praying even more as my calendar fills up more and more.

So, DO NOT pray less and less as your life gets busier and busier.  Instead, pray even more, relying on the Lord’s strength, energy, and wisdom to do more than you could ever imagine according to His power at work within you!

Don Hulsey, Pastor, Grace Presbyterian Church (9526 Joor Road)