Do we invest as much time in prayer as we like to?  Or are most of our prayer time the convenience brand?  Most the time, as it relates to food, the convenience brand costs more and provides the least amount of nourishment.  Is that how our prayer and spiritual life has become?

Remember in our early walk with the Triune God where we would schedule at least thirty minutes in prayer upon rising and again before retiring to bed in the evening?  Most of that time of course we probably prayed about our world and the people in our little world.  As we matured though, don’t we now find ourselves spending more time communicating in prayer during the entire day?  While commuting in traffic, or standing in line at the grocery store, or just in between projects at work,  don’t we tend to thank God, or ask for His intervention in a specific circumstance, or wisdom to deal with the situation at hand, or whatever else that may occur during the day?

Though the first Person we speak with in the morning and the last Person we speak with at the end of the day is our Heavenly Dad, those prayers are more like loving “good morning” and “good evening” chit-chats with the rest of the family.  Yet God knows our heart.

How does one become prayed-up?  Prayer use to be a daily ritual for many of us.  Now it is a daily discipline.  The difference between ritual and discipline is a fine one.  A ritual is typically doing something to earn favor with God whereas a discipline is placing oneself before God to seek His answer.  It really is a matter of attitude and heart.  Maybe when it comes to prayer, it is likewise an attitude of the heart.  Prayer is not something we keep score at; it is communion with the Greatest Lover and Provider: the Creator and Master of the Universe.  It’s walking and living in His presence every single minute.  It’s realizing that He is watching at all times.  It’s knowing that He cares about us and the people we are with.  It’s requesting His intervention in the lives of others.  It’s focusing on His work in progress.

If being prayed-up means total communion with God at all times, than Amen.  If it is trying to pick our self up by our bootstraps, than good luck.  We will need it because God wants us to become totally involved with Him.

Luck is life without God; blessings is life with God.  Wouldn’t we rather live a blessed life rather than a lucky one?  Luck will eventually end, whereas blessings will eternally continue with Him.  As a disciple of His, we pray in His presence all day.  That is how we define being prayed-up.

OUR PRAYER

Our Heavenly Dad, thank you for giving us prayer.  Thank you for introducing us to you.  Thank you for sharing your Truth and Your bountifulness with us each and every day.  Thank you for wanting to develop a personal, close relationship with us.

Help us to continue in prayer and communion with you each and every day, every hour, and every minute whenever possible.  Help us to be aware of your presence in our life each and every moment.  Help us to live our life totally in your awesome presence.

Rejuvenate this life each day for your glory and service.  Let people come to you through this life.  Let everything we do be done truly for you.  Let us live and walk with you each and every day.  Amen.