Mark 14:37 Then He returned to His disciples and found them sleeping. “Simon,” He said to Peter, “are you asleep? Couldn’t you keep watch for one hour?.
Many of us struggle to keep our concentration focused when we pray. Our mind wanders into worthless thoughts or worldly worries. Even the disciples of Jesus found it difficult to focus in the one hour night prayer just before Jesus surrendered Himself to be crucified. He instructed Peter, James and John to “watch and pray” in the last few hours before the crucifixion; yet they fell asleep.
Prayer is a mode or medium that connects heaven and earth. Prayer is the internet connection between the terrestrial and the celestial. The service provider of this connectivity is Jesus. The portal into this airspace is through salvation, submission and surrender. The price for this divine inter-realm connection was paid by Jesus on the cross of Calvary 2,000 year ago. Anyone who accepts Jesus is given a prepaid package of relationship and rights with the Heavenly Father through the modus operandi of prayer. However, why do we get distracted when we pray? Why did the disciples get droopy when they were instructed to pray?
Prayer is not a ritualistic duty; it is the access to Heaven. Communication will be insightful only if both parties are interested in the discussion. Hence, there must be a hunger to hear from God as much as we want Him to hear us. As for the disciples, Jesus was only a stone throw distance away. Familiarity breeds contempt. They missed the direct access after the death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus. Hence the absence of His physical presence created a vacuum and appetite for divine communication called prayer. They all joined together constantly in prayer, along with the women and Mary the mother of Jesus, and with His brothers (Acts 1:14). Hunger to get close to Him, keeps us from being distracted.
The essentials of effective prayer:
- Price: We can enter into the divine inter-realm connection only if we present the prepaid price of the blood of Jesus. “No one comes to the Father except through me”. (John 14:6b). No one can by-pass Jesus and make a prayer call to Heaven. To establish a relationship, the blood of Jesus is the access card. The blood of Jesus is the prepaid price for a praying relationship.
- Portal: There is only one door of entry into effective prayer. “I am the door” (John 10:9). There is only one portal that connects us with the Sovereign. There could be many portals to connect with other celestial beings but there is only one portal to connect with the Creator. Jesus is the door .
- Petition: Prayer is not just submitting our petitions. Prayer is poignant penitence, purification and divine partnership. When we go to seek the Lord with a hunger and thirst to receive more of Him rather than just receive gifts from Him, we will come back encouraged and energized. Prayer is a conversation not just a time of petition.
A hunger to know God and to hang-out with Him will turn our petitions into an effective time of prayer.
Matthew 26:14a Watch and pray, that you enter not into temptation.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, give me a hunger to know you and make my prayer effectual and powerful. Lord teach me to pray. Amen.
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