Be constant in prayer

"Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer." Romans 12:12 ESV

"I'm so excited!" I thought to myself as I set out yesterday morning intent on running some consistent miles as part of my training to pace the 4:45 group at the upcoming Bass Pro Marathon. And as I ran, I constantly monitored my GPS watch to make sure the miles were all at a 10:52 pace or within seconds of it. And just why was I so obsessed with logging miles that were the exact same you might wonder? Because if a pacer (whose primary job it is to get the runners in their group from the start line to the finish line at their designated time and whose secondary job is to do it while keeping them entertained) goes too fast, the runners in their group won't be able to keep up. And if a pacer goes too slow, the runners won't reach the finish line on time--which is the exact reason that consistency is the key to success when it comes to pacing. 

And you know where else consistency is the key to success? In our spiritual walk. You see, if you and I are honest, most of us would say that we only go to the Lord in prayer when we're in trouble or when we're in need of something. Am I right? And while God certainly hears those prayers, He longs for us to come to Him regularly for fellowship, just to spend time with Him. Why? Because God knows how much we will benefit from that time--time spent with a Friend that will change us, teach us, draw us closer and make us more like Him. Consistent prayer then is crucial for our spiritual growth and to keep us on the right path; which is the very reason Paul urged all believers to "be constant in prayer." 

So how would you describe your prayer life today? If you said anything other than constant and consistent, I urge you to make it a point to talk to the Lord throughout the day. Start with small prayers like, "Good morning Lord. Thank you for waking me up" or "Please walk with me today." You'll soon find the more you pray like this, the more it will become natural and you'll eventually spend hours in prayer with Him each day; something you most certainly will grow to look forward to.

Heavenly Father, thank You for reminding us that regular, constant and consistent prayer is the key to the success of our spiritual walk. And whether we sit down to formally pray, go into a prayer closet to do it, or simply talk to You out loud or in our hearts, help us to hear what You want to say to us more than what we want to say to You. It's in your precious name we pray Jesus. Amen. 

Happy Running!!!

Pray - Sanctus Real