prayer

here is a devotional on prayer. Oh, and don't be afraid to "break the glass" when there's not an emergency! Enjoy!

Broken Glass

In case of emergency, break glass. How many of us have seen that phrase printed somewhere? We usually find it on a boxed-in area containing a fire alarm or fire extinguisher. Outside of a mischievous moment here and there, none of us would think about breaking that glass unless there was a real emergency. We are content to function normally without breaking the glass. In that same spirit, most folks do not give a second thought to their spare tire until they hear that ominous sound that only can be made by a flat tire. Unfortunately, most Christians function in the same manner with God.

We don’t have the time to spend in regular prayer with God, but fully expect Him to have time for us when we are finally calling out to Him due to our perilous situation. God is seeking a relationship with us. A relationship requires regular maintenance; not a sporadic, needy, greedy request. Think about it like this: what if you only ate whenever you could find time to invest in prayer first? I believe that Weight Watchers and Jenny Craig would be headed for the unemployment line. In much the same way as our physical bodies would be starving at that point, our spiritual lives are starving for that time with our Creator.

We were created to worship and spend time with our Maker, not chase dollars and sinful self-fulfillment. At what moment do we stop to realize that as we stomp through our day not bothering to give God a second thought or just a moment of prayer, He is still blessing us beyond what we will ever deserve? For a moment of reflection, consider this: what if God only blessed us when we deserved it? How short and miserable our lives would be. Fortunately, for all of the undeserving sinners in the world, (that’s everyone who breathes) God treats us far better than we earn. He gives us life, salvation, family, friends, and everything else that has true value. The only thing He is searching for from us is a small slice of our time spent getting familiar with who He is through His word and speaking and listening to Him in prayer. That doesn’t sound like a very even relationship. He gives, gives, gives, and sometimes receives while we receive, receive, receive, and rarely give. I have heard it stated that inadequate time spent with God is not a time management issue-it is a lack of love issue. You will never be able to love Him back like He loves you, but don’t stop trying. He’s earned your time…have you earned His blessings?

Go ahead, break down and invest some of your life in prayer without it just being a “spare tire” plea for mercy. Don’t mistake prayer for your turn to step up and give God a divine “to do” list. Prayer is sharing all of you with Him, while listening to what He has to say to you. So today I say: dare to be different! Break the glass when there is no emergency. You would make His day if you did. And besides, He’s already made yours!