Most people pray.
According to the Barna Research Group, more than 80% of us pray in any given week, and that statistic has remained fairly stable over the years.
We pray for health, for our children, for more money, for guidance, and for others. We say, “I’ll pray for you.” And we mean it.
But life tends to get in the way, doesn’t it?
We go to bed with the best of intentions. “Tomorrow,” we say, “I will get up early and spend at least an hour in prayer and study before beginning my day.” And we really do mean it.
But we don’t follow through. We oversleep. Or we get up, but by the time we have finished checking email and reading the morning news, it’s time to get the day going.
Work beckons. We will pray tomorrow.
The great paradox
This is what I know for sure: there is nothing more powerful, nothing I can do that affects my attitude and my life more than prayer and meditation. But I also know this: prayer and meditation are given less time, in my life, than anything else.
That doesn’t make sense, does it? Why do I not do what I know I should do, but constantly do those things I know are bad for me?
I need a solution. Do you? Have you found one? I am working with something, right now, that is showing results. More about that later. For now, I invite you to share your own experiences with prayer and meditation.
ADDENDUM: NEW GROUP: Join the Prayer & Meditation Community on G+
Shalom, my friend. May God bless and keep you always,
Don
(The public domain illustration is by Alexander Bida, 1874. It is entitled, “Jesus in Prayer.”
I meditate in the shower, read scriptures on the “porcelain throne,” and pray after I get dressed in my closet. If I forget, I pray before I walk out the door, and if I forget then, then I pray in my mind. Multiple times each day I pray in my mind. Some may say it is irreverent to read while you are going to the bathroom, but it is basically the only alone time for this young father.
I also read scriptures and pray at night with my kids and before they go to bed and when I go to bed. Another thing I do is try to memorize scriptures while I drive to work. Just memorized Ephesians 6:12 the other day. Why do we need to read scripture and pray daily? Because “we wrestle…against the rulers of the darkness of this world…against spiritual wickedness in heavenly places.
Great post Don!
Write on, Stu! It is incredible to watch your company, Get Found First, grow and grow and grow. You’re an entrepreneur with a grip on the times. Good for you.