Time to Pray

Time and experience have a way of pointing people to God.  The Pew Forum on Religion in Public Life reports that the longer Americans live, the more we pray.  The study surveyed members of Generation X in the early 1990s, asking them how often they prayed.   Forty-two percent reported that they prayed on a daily basis.  When asked the same question in 2010, fifty-four percent of Gen Xers reported daily prayer.  Members of the baby boomer generation were similar: forty-seven percent reported that they prayed on a daily basis during the 1980s.  But, in 2010, sixty-two percent reported that they prayed every day.  Time and experience have a way of pointing people to God.

It makes sense.  The longer we live, the more we learn that we can’t control things like thought.  In fact, we find that we have little control over the things we value the most (life, love, relationships, et cetera).  Recognizing this, we begin to talk with God and petition God, asking for care and comfort.  We see God show up. We find care.  We find comfort.  We learn more and more about God’s goodness.  Many people like us give our lives to faith in Jesus because of it.

The Psalm writer from the Bible learned this too.  Psalm 116 says, “I love the Lord, for he heard my voice; he heard my cry for mercy.  Because he turned his ear to me, I will call on him as long as I live.”  Time and experience have a way of pointing people to God.

As you go through the week, take a moment to think about things you have prayed about in the past.  Make note of the many ways Jesus provided.  As you do, you will be reminded of the faithfulness of Jesus.  You will also find yourself turning to the Lord in prayer more and more.