When is a good time to pray? And where is a good place to pray?
Simple: always and everywhere …right?
According to passages like Acts 4:23-31; yes! Here Peter and John show us an amazing picture of Christian community. They had just been arrested and held for healing a lame beggar, and when they are finally released, they rush to tell their friends.
They probably weren’t at a church.
It probably wasn’t during an appointed “prayer meeting”.
But goodness, the Word tells us, “when they heard it, they lifted their voices together to God,” and prayed a prayer of thanksgiving. “And when they had prayed, the place in which they were gathered together was shaken, and they were all filled with the Holy Spirit and continued to speak the word of God with boldness.”
Always! And everywhere! Pray!
We are to pray without ceasing (I Thess. 5:17), whether we are alone, in a group or one-on-one in conversation with a friend. He wants us to be in such a relationship with Him that a talk with a girlfriend (or our spouse or our children) would naturally flow into “Let’s go to God about this”, or “can I pray for you now?”.
But… those questions I asked earlier? The ones about when and where to pray? There is more to be said.
Not only should we feel free to approach the Throne anytime and anyplace with any need; but relationship with the Father also develops through meeting regularly at a specific time and an appointed place.
Corrie Ten Boom said, “Don’t pray when you feel like it. Have an appointment with the Lord and keep it. A man is powerful on his knees.” So what about you? Do you have a standing appointment with The Lord?
Perhaps you have a specific place that is quiet, private, screen- and distraction-free? Maybe it’s a place that is comfortable (but not too comfortable), set up with your Bible, pens, highlighters, a journal, maybe even a candle. Do you go there before the kids wake up or after they’ve gone to bed? Do you meet Him at a coffee house, in your cubicle, on the front porch or – as I once heard – in your “Jesus chair”?
Do you look forward to this time? How do you feel when you’ve missed it?
Sisters, tomorrow we will talk more about putting praying alone and praying in community into practice. In the meantime, I encourage you to take some time today looking up the following short passages to read more about quiet prayer times in the Bible: Mark 1:35, Luke 5:16, Luke 6:12, Acts 10:9, Daniel 6:10.
May I please who is the devotion writer?
She Reads Truth is written by several ladies. If you go to the "who" tab at the top, you can see who they are. This particular devotion series was written by Raechel… And she did an outstanding job!!!
Amen. A wonderful series.
After I get ready in the morning, I can’t wait to sit down and jump into my devo’s, and SRT is my favorite. With my cuppa joe, it is so uplifting starting my day in the word. I try to remember to ask God to open my heart before I start, but after, I then have “my standing appointment with God” (love that). It definitely starts my day off with God’s peace & joy, which I truly need as I work with the public. I’m trying to incorporate a time spent in quiet meditation, with my heart open to God’s Holy Spirit, for direction.
I love this time, and I never want to start my day without it.
SRT Sisters, blessings to you all. I know it was no mistake I found this site. God’s perfect plan…
So agree about SRT!
I get up in the morning and try to have my bible study during that time. But I realized with this study, that I never really sit down to just pray. I am usually at church or before meals, or reading my bible, etc. There is usually agenda or a reason. But feel I need to make time to just sit and have a conversation and talk with Heavenly Father.
Thank you for this wonderful lesson on prayer, it has really opened my eyes today.
Lovin’ this devo! I spend my time with God in the mornings. Over the last 10 years, or so, I’ve developed a morning routine of spending time reading The Word, reading some other devotionals, journaling, and then time in prayer…and most recently, doing the SRT devotional. My actual time in prayer, though, has suffered, I think, in doing as many devos as I do. Need to get more focused on actual time conversing with God. So great, as always, to learn from what all of you wonderful women are doing. Think I’ll try a few of the things some of you all do. Thanks for sharing. Blessings!
My time with the lord begins as soon as i get the kids out the door to school. (unless i need to shoot a quick one up in the process of getting them ready,haha!) But I really cant imagine my day any other way now. I start with thanking Him, praising him for letting me still be a part of His creation with my kids everyday, and move onto other needs for friends, family, SRT and where ever He leads me.
Then i do the devo and read the text for it, then comments. By reading the comments I can then pray for anyone in our community or whatever is laid on my heart . I still have so much to learn that it helps so much to read other's thoughts on whatever we may be studying. my problem is sticking with it thru the day/evening. I'd really like to end my day with Him, just as i start it with Him!
AmyKelly i really like how you've come up with so many ways to stay focused on Him! i've read just a few posts on your blog, and would love to implement some of your methods.
Anymore ideas on continuing to keep Him first and foremost thru the day/night?
Yesterday's devo has been stuck in my mind too. I've alwaqys done my plan/comments on my phone. I had NO IDEA that comments could be liked or given a thumbs down!! I had seen comments about "sorry, i meant to hit like" but I thought that pertained to Twitter or Instagram, which i don't use….Duh!! For the first time I'm commenting on the SRT site and see this now! But i do go on Facebook once or twice a week and share some little thing Christian related…should i be putting more up to draw former classmates, friends out? I feel a little hesitant to put a lot out there because of the political atmosphere…i really don't care if folks think i'm a Jesus"freak", but i don't want to turn people off either… Again, any thoughts are appreciated!
Blessings to all of you today!
With having so many illnesses to deal with one would think I’m in prayer 24/7 not so. I was sleeping all day and I mean all day getting up at noon but not going to sleep until midnight. Yet still did not take out real time to spend with The Lord. I would talk to him but not really spend time with him. Then I found Soul Detox and Srt and now this is the first thing I do no matter what time I wake up. I sometimes don’t even go to the bathroom until I’m done reading what has been posted here. I have been spending prayer time after my devotions but now I have to learn how to do the study time. Years ago I had a way to study the Word but now it seems I’m lost. But I believe God will and is restoring all that was lost.
It is so interesting to read all of the comments about how we pray or don't pray enough. I have ADHD when it comes to prayer. I have found 2 ways that I can pray effectively. First, while I am running. I run every morning and it is usually dark and I am usually alone and this is great time with the Lord. My body is well occupied so my mind and heart can slow down to hear God. The other way that I can really pray well is to write my prayers. I pull our my Moleskin and just write it all down. Much Grace Ladies
I am the same way. Running & being active outdoors is my favorite way to pray! If I am inside & being quiet, writing gives me that same level of connection & awareness.
"Be cheerful no matter what; pray all the time; thank God no matter what happens. This is the way God wants you who belong to Christ Jesus to live." – 1 Thess 5:17 MSG
I read in the Message this morning, and it included the verses around Luke 5:16; this verse in conjunction with the one above, speaks to me about how, as a daughter of Christ, my life should be lived:
"…your cleansed & obedient life, not your words, will bear witness to what I've done." – Luke 5:14
A prayerful, cheerful woman living a cleansed & obedient life that puts Christ's love on display. That's the woman I want to be!