FRIDAY, AUGUST 17
“And they devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and the fellowship, to the breaking of bread and the prayers.”
Acts 2:42 ESV
BOLD DEVOTION TO PRAYING
A guy was trying to lose weight but came to the office one day with two dozen donuts. His co-workers asked him why he got donuts if he’s trying to diet, and he answered, “Well, as I came to the corner where the donut shop was, I told God that if He wanted me to buy some donuts to have a parking spot open right in front of the donut shop. And on the eighth time around the block, there it was!
A lot of us treat praying like we treat dieting. We look for quick fixes and do it in short spurts. One of the keys to having a healthy body is to eat a balanced diet all the time. We like to think that if we’ll eat healthy foods for a day or two, we’ll become healthy. It’s learning to do things as a way of life that makes us healthy. And just like dieting, prayer is about a healthy daily lifestyle change and not a quick fix.
The early church was “devoted” to praying. They stuck to it. If we see prayer as simply a conversation with God, it becomes easier to consistently take breaks during the day and talk to Him much like we would drop a friend a quick text. 1 Thessalonians 5:17 reminds us to, “pray without ceasing.” Take some time now to talk to God about the things going on in your day. Maybe set a few reminders to take at least a couple breaks today and talk to God but even better just randomly share with Him joys, frustrations and needs as you go through the day.
