At some point in your life, you have likely heard the well-known phrase, “Praying is opening one’s heart to God as a friend”. It’s true praying is nothing more than talking to God, opening oneself to Him in an intimate, personal, and special way. It sounds simple, but that’s not always how things work.
You wake up, get up, take care of one thing and another, go to work, school or even go from the bedroom to the kitchen and when you realize it, it’s already noon and you haven’t talked to God. When night falls, you lie down, relax, and only then remember to pray, but you are already so tired that you are unwilling to kneel and talk to God. Sometimes you even avoid thinking so as not to feel the weight on your conscience, but sometimes you feel guilty for not wanting to talk to the One who loves you the most, who cares about you in a most special way and who is constantly there for you, even if you reject Him. Calm down. You are a human being living with years of decay, it is understandable that you feel this way.
So what do I do if I don’t feel like praying?
1. Pray
“…pray without ceasing,” (1 Thessalonians 5:17).
I know, it’s so obvious and you may be tired of hearing it, but there’s nothing more effective to create in you the desire to pray than to pray… According to psychologist Jeremy Dean, it takes an average of 66 days for someone to form a new habit. But this number is only an average and varies greatly from individual to individual. It also depends on the habit you want to acquire, as some can take only 20 days. Even if it’s out of a sense of obligation, pray! In a matter of days, your actions that were originally stemmed from a sense of obligation will become automatic, and, as the subject here is prayer, it adds to your fellowship with God and you will soon pray out of love and not be able to spend a day without talking to our loving Jesus!
2. Fast
“Yet even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart, with fasting, with weeping, and with mourning; (Joel 2: 12).
Fasting is a very powerful spiritual tool. Simply put, fasting is nothing more than resisting the “desires of the flesh” and privileging the spirit. Thus you realize that you are able to overcome your selfish motives and all that takes you away from God. Through fasting you can keep your spirituality in focus, and have this moment alone with God, humbling yourself before Him, asking for help in your spiritual life. By fasting, you will feel stronger spiritually, more resistant to temptation and advances of the enemy, and will quicken your prayer life.
3. Find out what is dethroning Jesus in your heart
“And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength,”(Mark 12:30).
If you have no time for Jesus, if you have no desire to pray, it is because something is taking the place of Christ in your heart. Evaluate what is first in your life. Christ needs to be first. It is impossible to grow spiritually if you only feed what drives you away from Jesus.
4. Read the Bible
“And Jesus answered him, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone.’” (Luke 4: 4).
The Bible is the word of the Lord. When you pray, God speaks to you. It contains God’s will for our lives, gives us insight, and the power to overcome. The more you read the Bible, the more you know about Jesus and the more desire you will have to talk to Him. The more you know about Jesus, His character, and the love He has for you, the closer you long to be to Him.
Dear friend, talking to God is a privilege. Jesus who was our example while here on earth lived in constant prayer. He identifies with our needs and weaknesses. He constantly prayed to the Father that He might come forth strengthened to meet His duties and trials. If Christ, the Savior of the world, felt this constant need to pray, how much more should we mortal sinners feel the need for constant and earnest prayer?
Jesus loves you. Run into His arms in prayer. He is eager to hear from you. Soon we will talk to Him face to face.
May the Lord bless you and keep you! xxx
