HAPPY NEW
YEAR!
We have all probably heard this many times in the past couple
days and have thought to ourselves that it doesn’t feel much different than the
last one. This is probably true;
however, this is a time that most of us look back and make goals for things
that we would like to change in the new year.
Whether it be work, church, family, or personal, we make “resolutions”
to change things in our lives. If we are
honest with ourselves, most of these “resolutions” don’t last for a significant
amount of time before we go back to the ways things used to be. Rather than make resolutions, let us make
commitments to God concerning our spiritual well-being. The great thing about God is that there is
always the opportunity to start anew - God always offers us a new day and is
long suffering with us, no matter what has gone before.
One area of spiritual well-being that we should commit to God
is to talk to Him daily. Talking to God
seems like it should be as easy as falling off a log, but often it can feel
more like climbing a cliff. In order to keep this commitment to Him, here are 10
tips to help.
1. Choose a specific place to pray away from distractions so
you can concentrate. Ringing phones and crying children will sabotage your
"quiet time" before it gets started.
2. Pray at the same time every day, if at all possible. Make
it part of your regular routine and it will become habit. Write it into your
schedule and then treat it just like a daily appointment.
3. Pray out loud. Many people can pray under their breath or
in their minds for long periods and still maintain intensity, but for most of
us it's a quick ticket to dreamland. When we pray out loud we have to form
intelligent sentences. We have to concentrate more on what we're praying about.
4. Keep a note pad handy so you can jot down different things
that come to mind while you're before the Lord. Sometimes you'll get great
ideas totally unrelated to what you've been praying about. If you jot them down
you can quickly get back to the topic at hand without being too distracted.
5. Make a list to keep track of your prayer needs. This can
be done several ways. Prayer needs can be listed by category like
"Church," "Family," or "Unsaved friends." Or they
may be listed by the days of the week. Each day you pray for a different set of
needs.
6. Redeem time for praying out of unused corners of your
schedule. Those who have to drive to work can use the time talking with the
Lord instead of screaming at traffic (just don't close your eyes!). Busy
homemakers can combine prayer with housework, especially if the task doesn't
require a lot of concentration. Joggers, swimmers and cyclists can use their
workout time for prayer.
7. Change the pace during your prayer time. Include praise,
thanksgiving and singing as well as petition. Spend some of your time
reflecting on the Scripture, meditating on it and digesting its meaning.
8. Keep a prayer journal. Keep track of what you prayed for
and when you prayed for it. Leave a space to jot down the answer when it comes.
This will help you to keep alert to God's answer so you can thank Him promptly.
Sometimes prayer answers come in the back door and you don't want them to slip
by you.
9. Pray with someone else. Though some prayers can only be
said in solitude, there will be times when you'll want to join hearts with
another person in prayer. If you commit to a prayer meeting on a regular basis,
the accountability can really help build consistency.
10. Pray one-sentence prayers. If the thought of laboring
over a topic wears you out, pray short, sincere prayers instead. A sentence or
two may be all that's needed to exhaust the topic for you for the time being.
If so, just move on to the next item without feeling guilty for your brevity.
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