Wednesday, September 21, 2011

Message from Colleen Helman, High School Teacher

Am I Praying or Multi-Tasking?

During a recent conversation with friends about Bill Hybels’ book, Too Busy to Pray, the discussion turned to whether or not a person should have a special place to pray and spend time with God. The point was raised that we can pray anywhere, at anytime. No special place is needed when praying. Each of us can talk to God while we are driving to work, walking the dog, fixing dinner, creating a continual conversation with God throughout the day.

It occurred to me that, while I do pray all the way through the day, I have often neglected to find a planned, set-aside time that is His alone, with no interruptions. I am great at multi-tasking and doing many things at once. It is a valuable skill in our culture, a sign of being able to accomplish much in a short amount of time. I have let that become a substitute, at times, for uninterrupted time with God.

As empty-nesters, we cherish the times when our children come by to see my husband and me. Whenever Melissa or Jonathan are in the house, I want to have some time to sit down, in my favorite room, and talk with one of them without the interruptions from cell phones, computers or television. I don’t want to compete with those things. I cherish a face to face conversation, for five or ten minutes, as they tell me about what is happening in their lives.

I have often asked God to be content with my distracted prayers that are mixed with the everyday things that I need to get done while I talk with Him. Of course there is a great blessing and value in continuous prayer during the day, in addition to the intimate, one-on-one time with the Father. I want the uninterrupted time with Him to be a highly-prized part of my day.

Do not put your trust in princes,
in human beings, who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;
on that very day their plans come to nothing.
Blessed are those whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD their God.
Psalm 146: 3-5 NIV

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