Encouraging prayer God offers an open invitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray. And now, here's James.
So do you ever get Bored with praying?
Well, it it happens. Can we talk? Really, sometimes one of the main reasons we don't pray is because we feel like we have so many things to do. And if the truth be told, there are other things we're really more interested in. Yeah, Ravi, I so appreciate your honesty in that.
I'm glad we're talking about this today because. Most of us would never say that. but we'd think it. And we might not even know that we're thinking it. It just kind of shows up in what we do.
What we do is something else, you know think about it. It may be easier for us to pray when we're doing something else, like being stuck in your car for a long drive or lying in bed at night. And don't get me wrong, that kind of prayer matters, but...
Sometimes when that's all I'm doing, I I start to feel convicted. Wow, so how so?
Well, I I I feel better put. I know that God wants my complete attention. You know, it's it's Not that he doesn't value the other times, but it's a little like when you're a parent and your kid is watching T V and you're trying to have a conversation, you know, if you really want to get your point across.
Sometimes you need to shut something off and remove distractions. Yeah, I so get that, but that still doesn't remedy the thing we talked about at the very beginning, and that's boredom. You're right. You're right. And that's the real question, isn't it?
How do we get around that? And first, I guess we could ask why is that so important? to us. Yeah. Um And That that's a whole other issue in itself, you know, that that Why should our prayer time have to be so exciting to us?
But let me just ask you, how do you get around it? Yeah. Well, honestly. You know, I I struggle with this.
So many times. I almost every morning actually. Yeah. One of my go-to's is to begin to read the Bible. Um Um Dive into a passage, I feel the Holy Spirit speaking to me, and then, interestingly, so often I can go back to.
You know, the idea of the prayer that I originally started out with, feeling so much more engaged. Um Okay. You know, that doesn't mean that's always the most effective way. It's amazing how many different. Angles.
I've tried this, so I'm really excited about this episode, James, because I was hoping to get some. Tips here. You know, I mean, what you're pointing out is that you're not just reading just for reading. You know, you're not just checking off, okay, I'm going to get through so many chapters. You're reading to be with him.
you know. And And that's where we're going here. We're so conditioned to giving our attention to to things that interest us. Aren't we? I mean, the algorithms on our smartphones and computers are all engineered that way.
And I think that we we have to be really intentionally aware. to get around this.
So what do you mean?
Well, sometimes You know, we can we can look without seeing. right? There there's a difference between looking at a landscape through your car window and and looking at it to paint it. And I think we need more of that kind of thing of vision with God, which is Is what you're doing basically when you're reading the word of God for him. seeking Him.
You know, we we need, as it's been said, to gaze on God And glance at our problems instead of glancing at God and gazing on. our problems. Yeah, that's so true. And you hear that kind of language in the Psalms, don't you, right? Doesn't David talk about gazing on the beauty of the Lord?
Yeah, he does. And that's the fascinating thing. In in Psalm 27, David writes about gazing on the beauty of the Lord, you know, seeking him in his temple. But if you think about it The temple wasn't built during David's lifetime. Right?
So It's not a physical place. It's a spiritual place that he's going to. when he talks about gazing on the beauty of the Lord. And I think I think this is something that That we learn over time. It doesn't come naturally to us because we're so rushed and so distracted, but if we want this, and ask God to help us with it.
He will. Oh, yeah, he he will. And I think it just helps to call it out. I mean, to speak it, just to say, you know. We can do this.
Yeah, yeah. Another psalm that comes to mind is Psalm 131. And again, I think the link here between the Word of God and our praying. You know, helping us to see this is so vital. But where David says in Psalm 131, I've calmed and quieted myself, like a weaned child with its mother.
And of course, he's talking about. being with God again here. He's just Being with God to be with Him, not because He wants something. That's the whole point of the weaned child thing, right? A baby who isn't weaned.
is after something else. And we're often like that with God, you know, and I think the best way. To this is to just try, just to be with him. for him Uh but without you know asking for something enjoy him. you know just Um Rest in him.
Quiet for 30 seconds at first, or for a minute, and before you know it, you'll find you're enjoying his presence more. and and becoming more aware of him. Yeah, it's it's a challenge 'cause you know, you sometimes I get you know, to the point where I really feel like I'm there. And five seconds later, I'm worrying about what's in their front trainer. No, no, that's exactly right.
And I think this is, again, where we have to ask for God's help. You know, and and we just have to realize Um We're we're just We're just leaning into him. You know, it's it's It's not, Father, I want something from you. I have to have something from you. It's just more I love you and I'm so glad to be with you.
And Just Starting there. Um Oh yeah. I love it. Prayer without answers. Yeah.
Mm-hmm. Let's let's pray about that. Help us in this, Lord, because you know how we are. But we thank you that we can come to you with this and be honest with you about it. Oh yeah.
Look. forward to where you will lead us. Because again, it's just good to be with you. In Jesus' name. Amen.
Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website. JamesBanks.org or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
