No one is ever too busy to pray, it’s just a matter of priorities!

‘Every morning, I tell you what I need, and I wait for your answer.’ (Psalms 5:3)

Sheep Know Their Shepherd’s Voice

It may take different amounts of time, but eventually, the sheep of a flock grow familiar with the voice of their shepherd. During this time, they also learn to trust him for all of their needs.

So how can you as one of the Good Shepherd’s sheep become familiar His voice and learn to trust that He’ll meet your needs? Well, here are just a few ideas:

As you are waking up each morning, give God your thoughts and needs. With your eyes still shut and your head still on your pillow, spend the most important time with God and give yourself to Him— spirit, soul, and body!
Begin by offering Him thanks for your night’s rest and for your day ahead. Commit all your works to Him. Ask Him to give you opportunities to reveal His goodness and mercy to others throughout the day. Let’s face it, there’s no shortage of supply, for we know His mercies are new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23).

Your Wishes and Hopes For the Day Can Rush at You

Did you know that C.S. Lewis wrote: “The moment you wake up each morning…all your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other, larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in.”

What Are Your Waiting Thoughts?

Next, give God your waiting thoughts.

So, what do I mean by this in a practical sense? Think of it this way:

Have you ever observed the interactions of a mature, married couple? They have learned the treasure of shared silence; they don’t feel the need to fill the air with constant chatter. They’ve learned that just being together in each other’s presence is more than sufficient and brings a special kind of closeness. So, try being silent with God, aware of His presence. Invite Him to be in your special place and your quiet space. Remember “Be still, and know that I am God”, as it says in Psalms 46:10 NIV. The awareness of God and His presence is just the result of stillness before Him.

Being One

Jesus prayed for us while on earth, “That [they] may be one, Father, just as You are in Me and I Am in You. May they also be in Us so that the world may believe” (John 17:21 NIV).

Remember He has promised in His word to be with you and never leave you. So, as you try to discover God’s presence, here are a couple of questions to ask yourself:

When are you most deeply aware of Jesus’ presence in you?
To what level have you consciously invited Him to be more and more at home in your thoughts and heart?
How has your level of intimacy with Him grown in the last weeks, months or even years? If it hasn’t, then today may be a good time to start to seek Him further

Learning the Significance of Brief and Focused Prayers

Give God all your whispering thoughts; throughout history, Christians have learned the importance and significance of brief, focused prayers. These are prayers that can be whispered anywhere in any setting.

A famous American missionary of the early 1900’s sought unbroken communion with God by asking Him certain questions. As in “Lord am I in your will?” He also urged all believers to do the same by keeping God in mind for at least one second of every minute of the day. By doing this, it keeps a believer in the attitude of constant spoken prayer and seeking the heart of God.

Five Years Standing in Lines…

Just imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. Did you know by the time your life is over, you will have spent at least six months at traffic lights, approximately eight months opening junk mail, plus a year and a half looking for lost stuff. And get this, a mind-blowing five years standing waiting in various types of queues!

Give Him One Minute An Hour

So, in light of this don’t you think from now you can on give one of these moments to God each minute? Just by giving Him these whispering thoughts, these common moments become exciting and life transforming. Simple thoughts such as Thank You, Father, or I stand on Your Word, or My desire is to please You, or I want to know You more.

End Your Day As It Began

You don’t have to leave your office or kneel in the grocery store; just pray where you are! Let the store become your prayer room and let the office be a chapel of His grace. Give God your wandering thoughts. And at the end of your day, let your mind settle on Him and end your day as you began it—by talking to God.

Thank Him for the good parts. Seek His grace for the hard parts. And ask questions about the interesting parts. Seek His face as you close your eyes; take full assurance in His promise that He who watches over [you] will neither slumber nor sleep (Psalms 121:4 NIV).

Don’t Worry About Dozing Off

However, if you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place is there to doze off than in the arms of your Heavenly Father!?