MLast week we looked at the importance of prayer; it is the power behind outreach. Even the great Apostle Paul said the effectiveness of his (God given!) mission was dependant on the prayers of the saints. How much more is Outreach April dependant on prayer!
With this in mind, we were challenged to set aside 10-15 minutes last Monday for prayer. We were asked to set an alarm for a time we knew we would have a spare 10-15 minutes (e.g. over breakfast, after work, before bed), and begin with a simple prayer; ‘Lord, help me to WANT to pray’. Then we were encouraged to pray for Outreach April for just 10-15 minutes. That’s all.
So how did we go? Did we take up that simple challenge? If not, perhaps we could try again this week. This is not a hard challenge. It is asking for 10-15 minutes of your week, to pray for Outreach April. That’s all. It isn’t asking for hours of our time, or wads of our cash, or putting our reputations on the line, or exhausting ourselves in strenuous activity. It is a challenge to Christians to pray just once, for 10-15 minutes, beginning with ‘Lord, help me to WANT to pray’.
For those of us who did do it, how did it go? Was it a harrowing 15 minutes of terrible mental anguish? Or was it actually OK? Did you enjoy spending 10-15 minutes with just you and God? Did you walk away perhaps feeling a little closer to God, or maybe with a warm feeling inside?
If so, why not try it again. Set another alarm right now, for a time you know you’ll have a spare 10 minutes tomorrow, and begin with the same prayer; ‘Lord, help me WANT to pray’. And if that goes well, try it a third time. For me, that’s all it took before God answered that prayer. Let’s pray it will be similar for you.
‘Lord, please honour our prayers, and help us WANT to pray.
