| It is quite understandable why many of us have a little challenge in spending time to pray. The demanding nature of work, coupled with many other distracting things that calls for our attention like entertainment shows on TV, family responsibilities, time limit, amongst many others are all legitimately responsible. Most times when we take out time to communicate with God it appears to be when there is a problem perhaps resulting from a threat, conflict, needs, etc. Ranking top on the list is ‘needs’. For some others, why we spend time to pray is for a smooth sail of the day, or thanks to God for something done. Bottom line, pockets of motivation and especially external ones are responsible for 90% of time we spend praying. It was discovered that once these motivations are out of it, we seem to get easily disinclined to pray. At such time, we end up reciting the Lord’s Prayer of Matthew 6:10, and Luke 11:2.
We need not be motivated or put on our heels like we are for our jobs with pay perks and promotions. I studied the motivation behind Christ death for humanity, perhaps there are some hidden reasons aside the ones I know. I discovered that the motivation is still love, which as many as will accept it will be translated from eternal condemnation to life, and equally worship him eternally. Interestingly, that worship refers to having a feeling of profound love and admiration for Him.
Beyond these motivations that we occasionally experience, there is a fundamental lifestyle expected of us to express; it is our Agapao (Love) life. Love saw us in the miry clay, brought us out and set our feet on the rock to stand. Love gave us a new name and filled our lives with that very nature of God (Love). If our lives consist of this, it is therefore natural for us to express it. A rose expresses its nature which is its beauty and fragrance. A parrot expresses its nature which is talking. We are love beings let us express it.
It is not in mouth proclamation or expression of carnal lust, but in duties and responsibilities. Love took Christ to the cross and earned him a sit at the right hand of God interceding for us (Romans 8: 34). Love should make us be appreciative of these gestures and live up to our responsibilities. Paul in Romans 15: 30-32, entreated the believers at Rome to strive together with him in prayers for Christ sake and the love of the Spirit.
Friends let us gain mastery over all forms of distraction that will not count before God when we are giving account of our lives spent here on earth. Let’s minimize their influence in discharging our duties towards the body of Christ. For Christ sake and the love of the Spirit, I charge us to spend time relating with God in prayers.
– adeyiga awomuti
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