How do you pray when you do not feel like praying? This is a question we all ask at one time or another. Do not pray according to whether you feel like it or not. Your feelings change everyday. If you base your relationship with God on the shaky ground of your feelings, you would never seek God at all. Learn to pray when you are happy and to pray when you are sad. Pray when you are well; pray when you are sick. Pray when you feel a burden; pray when you do not feel a burden. Pray when you feel the presence of God; pray when you do not feel the presence of God. Pray when you are rested; pray when you are tired. Pray when you doubt God; pray when you believe God. Pray when answers do not come; pray when answers come. I think you get the picture. It does not matter how you feel; pray anyway.
Prayer requires commitment. Until you are committed, there is a chance to draw back. The moment you commit to God, He commits to you and all His grace is available to help you in your weakness. There is neither the power of God nor His blessings displayed without your being in the place of commitment. God’s power and gifts are available, but He needs a level of commitment that calls for the level of blessings He wants to give. Where there is no commitment, there is no anointing.
Why is there power in your commitment? Your commitment is an energizing force. Once you have decided to draw nearer to God in prayer, you will give all your energy, emotion, and time to it. You will discover you have all the strength you need to become a great man or woman of prayer.
Commitment is a choice. It is not just some mysterious force that comes on you from out of nowhere and overpowers you. You decide you are going to pray and nothing is going to keep you from it. Neither your feelings nor anyone or anything else will keep you from seeking God daily in prayer. Develop a daily habit of prayer first.
How do we develop our commitment?
- Check your focus in prayer. Do you pray only when you are in trouble, need a blessing, or desire revival? There is a better way. Seek Him because you love Him and want to know Him better. If you only pray when there is trouble, you will only pray now and then. If you pray because you love Him and are committed to Him, you will pray daily. There is so much more to God than a salvation experience. The Holy Ghost is the earnest of your inheritance. It is like inheriting a million dollars. You may be given a thousand dollars as a token of what is to follow over a period of time. As you pray and grow into the knowledge of God, the Spirit brings you into the fullness of your inheritance. He leads and guides you into all truth. Your focus in prayer will be the foundation for your commitment.
- Begin with little things. You may declare, “I’m going to start praying three hours daily.” How can you pray three hours when you find it difficult to pray 10 minutes consistently? Set your time realistically. Go to your place of prayer and determine to pray for one hour. If you are used to praying for a shorter time, take your Bible with you. Pray the scripture, or pray for the needs of your nation you hear about daily. Whatever you pray, develop your commitment by being faithful to the little things.
- Make it a matter of prayer. Ask God to bring you into a new level of prayer. This year I committed to seek the Lord through understanding the depths of His Word. In prayer and study, He has revealed to me things I have never understood before. I now understand that song which says, ”I once was blind, but now I see.” What a joy!
To commit may sound like hard work, but it simply means to give yourself to something. At the beginning of your walk with God, you committed to Him in salvation. Complete that commitment by continuing the giving of yourself to Him in prayer and devotion.
Remember to:
- Pray according to your commitment, not your feelings.
- Commitment is a choice.
Develop your commitment by:
- Checking your focus
- Beginning with little things
- Asking God to help you
Book Suggestion: Prayer— O.Hallesby (Augsburg Press)
~Cheryl Craft