The #1 Reason You Don't Pray.

When I was preparing my talk on prayer for Greek Conference, I asked Gareth why He prayed.
"I like to pray Mommy. That is why I pray." This actually surprised me. Gareth is shy when asked to pray, so I assumed he didn't like doing it. I guess I was wrong.

His response did make me think about my own affection for prayer. I like to pray. I enjoy chatting with my Heavenly Father. I enjoy the feeling of accomplishment and calm that most often floods within me when I finish time in prayer.

So why don't I pray more? If I like it, I should do it often. I like to watch TV. I watch TV most days. I don't pray most days.

2 Chronicles(a book of history in the Old Testament) tells me why I don't pray, and why I should. In chapter 7 we read about when Solomon and the Hebrew people are dedicating the temple to God. God is so pleased with His new dwelling place that He sweeps through the temple. When the people see His glory filling up their new house of worship, they go crazy and begin to worship the Living God for many days. They sacrifice over 140,000 livestock (cows, sheep and goats, among other things) and pull out instruments and sing songs to the Lord. At the end of the all this partying, Solomon sends everyone home, "joyful and glad in heart for the good things the LORD had done...for his people Israel."(vs 10)

Then God comes to Solomon in the night and tells him this about prayer. (vs 12-16)

 “I have heard your prayer and have chosen this place [the temple the people had just built] for myself as a temple for sacrifices. When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command locusts to devour the land or send a plague among my people,  if my people, who are called by my name, will humble themselves and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and I will forgive their sin and will heal their land.  Now my eyes will be open and my ears attentive to the prayers offered in this place.  I have chosen and consecrated this temple so that my Name may be there forever. My eyes and my heart will always be there.

Did you catch it? THE REASON PEOPLE DON'T PRAY! It's in there.

We don't pray because we don't need to. We can manage our lives all on our own. We don't need God to show up and help out.

Look at the passage, "IF my people will humble themselves..." Prayer is a statement of humility.
When we pray we are making a statement, and even if we don't use these words, the act of prayer states: "God, I can not do this on my own. I am limited. I need you. You are limitless. Please come and help"
"God, I can not handle this meeting, this relationship, this load of laundry, this budget, this parenting choice on my own. I am too small and weak. I need you to come through here. I need your input, direction, and power. Without it I'm lost."

When we pray we humbly admit that we need God.

Our lack of prayer makes an equally loud statement: "I got this God. Thanks for saving me from Hell, but I can handle the rest of my life on my own. I'm competent, successful. Thanks but no thanks."

And most of us, if we are honest with ourselves, live lives like that. "I can prep this talk on my own." "I can discipline this child on my own." "I can clean this house, run this practice, care for my spouse, teach these kids on my own. I've got things today, God. Maybe something will come up tomorrow that You can help out with."

When we don't pray we arrogantly smirk that we can manage on our own, without the Living God intervening into all parts of our day.

We are rebelliously self-sufficient.

To honestly live a life of prayer, I need to understand the sinful Independence of my heart. That left to myself I think I am big enough to need only a little bit of God. But true life, true abundance and a true commitment to prayer is rooted in the idea that I am small, and in so many ways (more than I can imagine, in all ways) I need God. I NEED HIM. And when I get that truth. I will pray.

One day I hope to rejoice in Gareth answering my question of why he prays in this way:

"I have to pray, Mom. Without it I'm lost. That is why I pray."