This weekend I’d encourage you to think about prayer. Prayer is not a religious exercise of giving information to God. God doesn’t want information he wants connection. And he doesn’t just want ‘a prayer time,’ although it is indeed important to regularly allot some concentrated time to prayer. God wants you to make your whole life a conversation with him. He wants you to walk with him throughout your day. The key to this is recognising the regular opportunities we have to acknowledge God, to thank him and to seek his help (just like Nehemiah in today’s reading). If I sat next to you on a car trip and you just listened to the radio and didn’t say a word to me, I’d find that quite rude. I’d feel like you were ignoring me. Don’t fill every space in your life with activity and noise. Learn to punctuate your day with acknowledgments of God. Then you might even become more conscious of God in your activities. Our lives are filled with missed opportunities to connect with God. The best way to cultivate a praying life is not with big blocks of time, but regular moments. Create regular quality times for prayer, but, more importantly, make your whole life a conversation with him. he is always speaking to you. Learn to listen and respond more often.
Ask God to make you mindful of opportunities for prayer throughout your day.
Read Nehemiah 2:1-8.
