5 Ways To Continue Praying Rarely

(Warning: Snark and Sarcasm Ahead)

If you’re anything like me, then you’ll find all kinds of excuses as to why you don’t pray to God. The lies that we tell ourselves or the enemy convinces us of, pushes prayer to the peripheral of our lives. So if you want to keep the status quo of a relatively prayerless existence, then follow these simple instructions.

1. Don’t Pray Until You’re In The Right Spot.

Jesus said to pray in your closet. Most of us have the number one preferable spot to pray. It’s quiet. You can focus. Only pray there. What does David know anyways!?

What was he thinking when he wrote Psalm 63? Writing a prayer of praise and thanksgiving while in the wilderness. He was more than likely in a cave with his mighty men around snoring.

Don’t pray on your commute to or from work. Don’t pray on campus while walking to your next class. Don’t pray while you’re waiting to pick up your kids from school. Don’t pray in the coffee shop or walking down the street.

Wait until you get to the spot that is just right.

2. Don’t Pray Unless You Have Enough Time.

Quick prayers!? What an insult to God, right? Surely quick prayers like “Lord I believe, help my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24) and “God be merciful to me, a sinner.” (Luke 18:13) aren’t as effective as lengthier prayers. That David guy wrote an 8 verse prayer in Psalm 3. It takes all of 60 seconds to read. Thankfully, the writer of Psalm 119 made up for David’s oversight.

Don’t listen to Paul when he encourages the Church to have a spirit of prayer throughout the day and pray without ceasing. (1 Thess. 5:17)

Wait until there is a right amount of time to pray.

3. Don’t Pray Until You Know What to Say.

God invented the Masters Of Divinity and He really enjoys it when you use fancy theological words in your prayers. God is kind of busy with over a billion people’s prayers, so collect your thoughts before you start. It’s not like He provides the Infinite Eternal Omnipotent Omniscient Holy Spirit to help us when we can’t find the right words. (Check Out Romans 8:26–27)

Don’t pray in a corporate setting until you are as eloquent and theologically sound as your seminary trained pastor.

Don’t come before the Lord with your heart rent, helpless and speechless allowing the Holy Spirit to intercede on your behalf. Your prayer will be way better than the Spirit’s.

Wait until you’ve collected your thoughts and you know exactly what to say and ask.

4. Don’t Pray Until You’ve Got a Plan To Run By God.

God wants us to have a well thought out plan before we come to Him in prayer. So have your committee meeting. Discuss with your mentors. Get pre-approval from your friends and family, then pray about it. God loves it when we come together, with our finite minds and sinful hearts, and plan an event, program, or strategy before consulting Him. It’s less steps and way more efficient this way. What was the early church thinking in Acts 4:23–31!? Upon hearing that their Apostles were being imprisoned and threatened with their lives for proclaiming Jesus is Lord, they began to pray. They didn’t call a meeting to order. They didn’t discuss among themselves the best strategy moving forward. They prayed first.

Don’t pray until you’ve talked things out with a friend, family member or spiritual mentor.

Don’t ask God to reveal His plan for you that day, week, month, year.

Wait until you’ve got a plan for God to bless.

5. Don’t Pray Unless You’re “Good” With God.

On the off chance that your heart and actions offends a Perfect and Holy God, go ahead and hide like Adam and Eve. Pick up your version of fig leaves and cover your shame. Nobody enjoys the awkward exercise of confession. Soften the blow by doing a couple of good things to make up for your wrong-doing first. Avoid the interaction that David had in writing Psalm 51 and Peter had with Jesus in John 21.

Don’t be quick to confess and repent of your sin before God.

Don’t run to the Lord pleading His forgiveness.

Wait until you have merited the unmerited favor of God.

It’s simple, this prayer thing. Just wait until you’re in the:

Right Spot with the Right Amount of Time with The Right Words to Say and The Right Plans for Approval And a Right Standing…

Then Pray.