Time Out (by Jerry Schmoyer)

Recently I attended a pastor’s leadership conference and was challenged by the speaker and by God to get serious about my prayer life. Don’t misunderstand, I never stopped praying to God, but I must admit that the quality of my communication with Him leaves lots of room for improvement. I really want to get serious about prayer.

Prayer is a great resource and a wonderful privilege that we just don’t avail ourselves of as we should. It is something we should want to utilize to the fullest. I’m not talking about praying more often or longer, although I’m sure that will be part of it. What I am talking about is connecting with God on a much more regular and deeper level than I have been. When things are going well in my walk with God, my prayer life is great, but when my walk with the Lord struggles, so does my prayer life. I’m not sure which causes the other – I think they both leap frog along together and are dependent on each other.

What do I need to do to get serious about my prayer life? I’ve been more serious about focusing when I pray, pouring out my heart more sincerely, keeping lists of people I said I’d pray for, listening to God’s still, quiet voice speaking to me, and desiring to deepen my personal relationship with Him. It takes focus, it takes time, it means having my priorities right, and it demands honesty and openness in my time with Him, but it certainly is worth it. I really do want to get serious about my prayer life. What about you?

Scripture
Phil 3:7-14, “But whatever was to my profit I now consider loss for the sake of Christ. What is more, I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whose sake I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ — the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the fellowship of sharing in his sufferings, becoming like him in his death, and so, somehow, to attain to the resurrection from the dead…. One thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.”

Reflect

• Evaluate your recent prayer life. Honestly, what would God say about it?
• Why not start right now – take a few extra minutes to really connect with God. What could be a better use of your time?

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Jerry Schmoyer has been a minister in Pennsylvania for over 25 years and has worked with teenagers for 14 years, ever since I became one myself. He authors the weekly Time Out series here at Life in Student Ministry in hopes to spiritually refresh your soul as you continually pour so much of yourself into students. God bless!

Posted on September 21, 2008