God invites us to come into His presence!

“But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly.” (Matthew 6:6)

Are you taking responsibility to feed your faith?

Our spirits, like our bodies, have requirements for health and growth. Some people don’t want to pay the price of developing good spiritual habits. Sadly, they end up paying the much higher price of spiritual disease and even death.

When we make a habit of prayer, we stay constantly tuned to God’s presence and open to receive His blessings. How do we make a habit of prayer? Jesus laid out some principles. But before we discuss them, here are two warnings.

The first warning is for those who love lists and formulas. For too many believers, spiritual discipline turns into a straightjacket experience filled with requirements that squeeze the vitality and spontaneity and adventure right out of faith and life. For these people, Jesus no longer brings freedom. Religion becomes a heavy burden.

The second warning is for those who make the opposite error – who think they don’t need any structure or rigorous habits to make their hearts grow. If a goal is really important to me, I must discipline myself in order to achieve it. I must decide in advance that practicing to meet the goal is nonnegotiable.

If you want to know something, ask an expert. If you want to learn good prayer habits, ask the #1 prayer expert in history – Jesus. When asked by His disciples to teach them to pray, Jesus taught:

1) Pray regularly. Jesus said “When you pray,” not “if you pray.”
2) Pray privately. God is not impressed by public displays of piety.
3) Pray sincerely. God wants to heart what is on our hearts.
4) Pray specifically. Use the “Lord’s Prayer” as a model.

Prayer Power
Loving Father, You want to hear from me just like I want to hear from my children. And even more importantly, You want me to listen for Your whisper so You can guide me. Help me to slow down even more to pray and seek Your presence. Bless me to pray regularly, privately, sincerely, and specifically throughout each day. Thank You Jesus! Amen.

Links of the Day
The life of discipleship: The spiritual habit of prayer – by Jim Holm

Walt Disney on Faith, Church, Bible Study, Prayer & God

Blessings to develop a heart-building habit of prayer!