Why Is It So Hard to Pray?
Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight,
He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.
(Mark 1:35 NKJV)
Why do so many of us struggle with prayer? It often seems so mysterious and difficult. We agonize over the right words, our minds wander, we fall asleep, we start off well and then lose the thread.
One of the reasons for this is there is a fallen angel walking the earth seeking those he may devour. Satan pays attention to us when we go to church, when we read spiritual books, when we attend Bible study, but he really pays attention when we pray because he knows what prayer does to his kingdom. It decimates it!
Throughout the books of Acts, you see prayer in action. Prison doors fly open, chains fall off, demons are cast out. Satan knows how powerful prayer is and he will do anything to stop it.
We also create our own hindrances to prayer. We wrestle to find the words we feel are appropriate. We wonder if we are praying hard enough. Should we be crying and sweating up a storm? We wonder if our prayer pose is correct. Should we be lying on the floor begging Him to hear us or kneeling with hands clasped in front of us with a beatifical look on our face?
There is no reason to stress about prayer. In its purest sense, it is simply a conversation with God.
We also do not need to speak in King James English. I have heard so many people switch over to King James “speak” when praying, which I personally find somewhat strange. I don’t believe God talks like that. He was around way before the King James Bible was compiled so why would He use that language? We also don’t need fancy words or flowery phrases. Some of my most heartfelt prayers have been extremely short, such as “Help, Lord!” or even more simple, ‘Help!”
Prayer is an indispensable part of our Christian walk. If you want to know how vital prayer is, look to our perfect example of prayer in action. Jesus often withdrew from the crowds to a place of solitude to pray. If He thought prayer was that important, then so should we.
Mark wrote his gospel with the Romans as his target audience. The Romans were a no-nonsense people; action and power appealed to them. In chapter one, it is one exciting event after another. Jesus begins His Galilean ministry; calls His first four disciples, Peter, Andrew, James and John; casts out a slew of unclean spirits and demons; heals many; and preaches in the synagogue. Then, a small seemingly insignificant verse (Mark 1:35) is dropped into the middle of all the activity. Jesus went out to a solitary place to pray. That tiny verse is hugely important. Amid all the excitement, Jesus took time to pray. And we should too.
God loves to hear from His children. Find a quiet place, put aside the distractions, and simply pour your heart out to Him. He is ready and waiting to hear from you.
Base your happiness on your hope in Christ. When trials come endure them patiently; steadfastly maintain the habit of prayer (Romans 12:12 PHILLIPS).
