PRAY!

Recently, while doing some research online, I learned about two seemingly contradictory trends happening in the prayer lives of American Christians. It seems that over the past decade most of us have begun to pray more often and for longer durations than we have been doing for several decades but at the same time more of us than ever feel defeated and that our prayer lives are not as good as they should be. After learning about these prayer trends I found myself contemplating what would cause so many of us to be praying more while also feeling inadequate and defeated in our acts of prayer. At first I wondered if it was pastoral guilt that we clergy have been pushing on our good willed congregants. But as I read a couple articles about this trend I decided this was not the case and also found that most pastors are struggling through the same fate. The conclusion that I ultimately reached was that...   Oh, wait, that’s my Sunday sermon! I can’t give the answer away too soon, so I guess we will just have to come together this Sunday as we dive deeper into our prayer lives.  

As you prepare for worship this Sunday I invite you to spend some time watching the video, reading the scripture and contemplating the reflection questions below. And, as always this is a great Sunday to invite a friend to church.  I look forward to seeing you Sunday!

Scripture Reading
Pray in the Spirit at all times and on every occasion. Stay alert and be persistent in your prayers for all believers everywhere. Ephesians 6:18, NLT

Reflection Questions

1. Spend a few minutes thinking about your own prayer life. Do you find that your frequently and duration of prayer is growing or is it in decline? Why do you think this is happening
2. Do you feel satisfied with your prayer life? Think about your answer and contemplate why you answered the way you did.