It's hard to watch your friends go through difficult times. Lately I've had a few people on my heart that have been walking through doubting their faith, family troubles and unwillingness to let go of an unhealthy and sinful lifestyle. Normally this just breaks my heart. I think about them, talk about them, and have other people pray for them. I pray some, but it's never intentional.
Lately, I've been convicted on that, and on my prayer life in general. #conviction
As a band, Final Greetings has been reading through a book called Letters to the Church by Francis Chan. It points out things in our lives, and in the modern church, that are causing unhealthy situations and stunting people's growth in God and as the Church. It's been a great read for all of us so far, but it's really been breaking down some issues in our own lives and views of typical church that we never really realized before.
There's one section that hit me harder than most in chapter 6, Good Shepherds. Francis writes:
I once told my staff to let me know if they were not praying at least an hour a day. This way I could replace them with someone who would... Prayer is not merely a task of ministry; it is a gauge that exposes our hearts' condition. It unveils our pride, showing us whether or not we believe we are powerless apart from God.
After reading that section, I started to mentally count up how much I probably prayed a day, and then I slapped myself in the face. The point of this was not, "Are you praying," but "Are you praying intentionally?" In counting the times I pray a day I knew that I was falling short of what was being challenged of me. #improveyourself
That day I decided to change my habit. Even though it was the hottest time of the day, the quietest place I found was outside. So I parked on a bench and then on a trampoline and looked at my prayer list I had started almost a year ago. I added people and took away some, then set a timer for three minutes and took off.
It's been a week since I started this practice, and already I've seen such a change. Even after the first three days I saw two people report of a positive impact in their life when I never even told them they were on my list. And another three days after that a third person contacted me with a desire to change, and though they're still having trouble letting go they opened up to me. I can only imagine what might be happening in the lives of the others on my list. #powerofprayer
Praying for each person for three minutes is such an easy task, I've found. Sometimes you find your mind wandering, but if you keep focused and remove distractions it's so easy. The hard part for me is trying to find quiet time where I just sit with God. Relaxing in the shade and breeze with nothing to say sounds easy, but I find myself not focusing on what God is actually trying to tell me.
If you're having trouble praying, I recommend you make it a priority! Set a time to do so daily, and find a place where you can retreat. Make a list, and set a two to three minute timer to keep you focused and to tell you to move to the next person. You'd be amazed at what 6 minutes of prayer can do for someone, especially for you.