It's hard to pray...

[Brooke]

I don't know why I have so much trouble with it. Ever since I got saved I've had an endless struggle with the idea and act of praying. It's just so difficult. Half the time I don't even want to do it. I have no motivation to do it except the fact that if I stop praying to Him our relationship will be lost forever. And then I'll go down when I die instead of up.
And then I feel stupid saying that because I'm not even sure if I'm sincere. I just feel like I don't care about God anymore. My affection is gone. And praying just seems so boring-- I bore myself to tears when I try to talk to the Lord.

I mean, if the Lord wants to use me for something later on in life, He's more than welcome to it. And I still have that desire not to sin that we get when we first get to know God. I'll still repent if I sin and ask God for forgiveness. It's not like I'm backsliding in regards to sinning. But only in praying.
Does anybody else have this trouble? I feel like the only Christian here who can't make herself pray more that once a week.
It's -- so -- hard...!

 

[Blessed-one]

um....... when i feel really lost in touch, reading a christian biography always gets me back up again, and that is part of the answer God gives me anyway.

pray to God to HELP you in your prayer time, this at least should be sincere enough i think since you're honestly asking God to help, and i can see that you DO want to get back to a good prayer relationship with Him.

and i think, try to pray in a group setting. Get a few trusted christian friends, or a more mature christian that you can trust? tell them your problem and ask them to pray with you together. A christian walk is not a lone walk, Brooke.

 

[looksgood]

Do you know how important prayer is? You see...it's not just to keep "in touch". There is power in it.

At the moment I have been sick a few days. But before these past few days I seen a need. I was in church and my pastor was speaking about the downhill trend. Like my topic said no one has a sweet hour of prayer anymore. Why? Cause we are too busy to stop and look at what is important.

Ya got any free time? Why don't you get on your knees and call out to God. Ask for a passion. It is important enough for you to post here, why not talk with God about it? Get desparate for it. We all need to do better. Sometimes it's just a matter of doing it if we feel like it or not.

 

[Brooke]

So God understands how I feel? Do a lot of Christians have this problem with feeling like their sincerity has flopped and they've stopped caring about praying? Maybe God is testing me or something....could that be it?

 

[The Midge]

I think I can understand about your trouble. I have had about 8 years of not feeling up to prayer. A course tutor was discussing prayer with our class a few weeks ago. Apparently when prayer is most difficult is when it is most affective. Some consolation. If that is the case I must be good at it!
Do you find it difficult to find anything to say? I certainly do. Perhaps it is worth just listening or using scripture for inspiration and letting God speak to you through that and identify things that are good to pray about.
Keep up the good work.

 

[Rafael]

Each person is different, but actually we are in contact with God all day long and can keep a running conversation through our conscience. The scripture "to pray without ceasing" may refer to just that sort of relationship, where you know He is with you and contact with His Spirit is what guides us through life. Of course when we sin we break that contact and grieve the Holy Spirit. Not that He leaves, but that He has to turn His back to sin. Prayer is conversation with God, your best friend, and is nothing to be guilty about but something to enjoy, just as you would with any best friend. Of course God would be even more special. Hope this helps a little. He is always with you if you've asked Him in to your life, seriously.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 Pray without ceasing.

 

[endure]

brooke
well like some others have said, and i can only second...
you are not the only person who feels this way. and it doesnt mean your diffrent, its something all true christians go through.

i remember a time in my life, when prayer was the absolutely last thing i wanted to do, i couldnt bear to stop doing what i was doing and go pray... and i went week on week without prayer.
becuase i beleive the devil was attacking that part of my life, becuase if he can cut off our secret place with God he can seperate us from the hand of God and his protection and guidance in our lives, and destroy us. destroy us like sifting wheat and letting the wind carry away the chaff, as Jesus said.
it was the flesh that didnt want to pray, thats all it was. but i had to learn the hardway that i have no choice but to pray, even if it isnt pleasurable.

be assured this season will pass, but you have to be faithful even when you dont get anything back, you must pray.
just know there are dark times in our christian lives, in the book of isaiah 50 the bible says that those saints who serve the Lord, are faithful to the Lord YET WALK IN DARKNESS, should stay on there God and trust in the name of the Lord.
sometimes you have to trust in his name, or that is what you know about him, when he isnt talking.
the bible says in psalm 90 that we should not fear the terror by night.
God can keep you in those times when it seems its night time for you, becuase its so dark and without joy.

you have to bind prayer to yourself like a runner straps his shoes on for a race or a soilder straps his boots on, to make sure they dont fall off. becuase without prayer you wont make it.

but pleasure in prayer? it always comes if you wait and TARRY on the Lord.
i think you have a passion for prayer, or this wouldnt be an issue for you.
but the pleasure in it?
there are times when its not pleasurable.
but you have to do it anyway, becuase its like your working out in the gym.
it hurts, it aint fun, and theres alot of resistance, but its making you stronger, and without that pain and resistance, theres no growth.

but know that this wont last forever, youll joy will break forth as the morning if you will be faithful in the midst of your dark valley.
your miracle is coming, if youll be faithful.
be not weary in well doing for in due season we will reap, if we faint not.

what are you praying about?
if you are bored in prayer, its probly becuase your praying over things that dont concern you.
maybe your praying for the wrong things, or maybe you dont care for what you need to be praying for.
id look deep in my heart, what are the issues of your life? whats really going on in your life? what are the problems? what means alot to you?
if you cant think of any problems, i know this.
you are either in one, or your walking toward one.
but begin to pray over the REAL issues in your life, and i bet youd find a motivation.
you arent supposed to just be saying
"give us this day our daily bread..."
but rather
"Lord Jesus...help me...i dont know if can i do THIS..."
and you know what YOUR THIS is, right? is the problem or issue in YOUR life.

but just sitting and thinking of things to say to the Lord becuase your bored and dont know what to say is lifeless.
prayer is made for you to come and have you deepest wounds washed and healed.
take your issues to prayer, and youll find motivation.
but also, have a commitment and faithfulness to be commited even to those things youd like to not have to be.

question your sincerity?
i think in times of doubt or confusion we all question ourselves, and its healthy to an extent.
you need to keep constant check on yourself, and if you arent sincere, then you need to honest and realise your not, so you can be healed.
become sincere, ask the Lord to forgive you and create in you a sincere heart.
sometimes you have to ask God to come and change you, becuase you cannot change yourself.
you have to confess it to God and ask him to come and create sincerety inside you.
that is if your not sincere.
but you do need to keep constant check.
and dont look back to see if you were sincere yesterday, make sure your sincere today.

Lee.