Communion With God

Chapter 3—It Is Hard to Find Time for Prayer

BIBLE GEM

“Wait on the Lord: be of good courage, and He shall strengthen thine heart: wait, I say, on the Lord.”—Psalm 27:14 CWG 13.1

QUESTION

How does one find time for meditation and prayer? CWG 13.2

ANSWER

A need to watch: “You need to watch, let the busy activities of life lead you to neglect prayer when you most need the strength prayer would give. Godliness is in danger of being crowded out of the soul through overdevotion to business. It is a great evil to defraud the soul of the strength and heavenly wisdom which are waiting your demand. You need that illumination which God alone can give. No one is fitted to transact his business unless he has this wisdom.”—Testimonies For The Church 5:560 CWG 13.3

Prayer a source of strength: “Remember that prayer is the source of your strength. A worker cannot gain success while he hurries through his prayers and rushes away to look after something that he fears may be neglected or forgotten. He gives only a few hurried thoughts to God; he does not take time to think, to pray, to wait upon the Lord for a renewal of physical and spiritual strength. He soon becomes weary. He does not feel the uplifting, inspiring influence of God's Spirit. He is not quickened by fresh life. His jaded frame and tired brain are not soothed by personal contact with Christ.”—Testimonies For The Church 7:243 CWG 13.4

Prayer neglected for bustle and show: “As our numbers are increasing, broader plans must be laid to meet the increasing demands of the times; but we see no special increase of fervent piety, of Christian simplicity, and earnest devotion. The church seems content to take only the first steps in conversion. They are more ready for active labor than for humble devotion, more ready to engage in outward religious service than in the inner work of the heart. Meditation and prayer are neglected for bustle and show. Religion must begin with emptying and purifying the heart, and must be nurtured by daily prayer.”—Testimonies For The Church 4:535 CWG 13.5

Failure in prayer causes our greatest mistakes: “If the rush of work is allowed to drive us from our purpose of seeking the Lord daily, we shall make the greatest mistakes; we shall incur losses, for the Lord is not with us; we have closed the door so that He cannot find access to our souls. But if we pray even when our hands are employed, the Saviour's ear is open to hear our petitions. If we are determined not to be separated from the Source of our strength, Jesus will be just as determined to be at our right hand to help us, that we may not be put to shame before our enemies. The grace of Christ can accomplish for us that which all our efforts will fail to do. Those who love and fear God may be surrounded with a multitude of cares, and yet not falter or make crooked paths for their feet. God takes care of you in the place where it is your duty to be. But be sure, as often as possible, to go where prayer is wont to be made.”—Counsels on Health, 424 CWG 14.1

Let nothing divert from Bible study and prayer: “Let nothing, however dear, however loved, absorb your mind and affections, diverting you from the study of God's Word, or from earnest prayer.”—Testimonies For The Church 8:53 CWG 14.2

SUMMARY AND PRAYER THOUGHT

Merciful Father, please help us to pray, because without an intimate relationship with the Trinity, Your Holy Spirit leaves us and our spiritual nature dies, then no matter how hard we work, our multitude of labors will be fruitless and we become Holy Spirit powerless Christians. Help us to see clearly that over-devotion even to the Lord's business can devastate and destroy our spiritual life. When we make mistakes and wrong decisions, it is evident that our heart and mind are closed to Heavens influence. CWG 14.3

Even Martin Luther recognized this. This is what he said: “Unless I spend two hours each morning in prayer, the devil gets the victory during the day.” CWG 14.4

Please help us, Lord, to let nothing no matter how good, take us from reading Your Word and heartfelt lengthy periods of time in prayer and meditating on the spotless life of Christ and then listening to that still small voice of the Holy Spirit saying This is the way, walk this way. CWG 14.5