Being Alone With God

"...the greatest things happen when I'm actively pursuing His presence with my full attention given to Him alone."

I'll admit it. Summer makes my prayer life a little weaker than it ought to be.

Gasp. Bridgette? You don't pray in the summer?

I didn't say that I don't pray. My prayer life changes into more of a "prayer while moving" rather than "prayer while still". I've noticed that as May comes to a close and school is released, everything shifts for this household. My two school-aged daughters now become my daily constant companions. My husband is joyfully expecting his family to reunite in ministry together in weekly travels. Routine is abandoned for a less-structured, "easier" lifestyle. And this type-A, schedule-lover gears up for a lack of personal space.

But do we really need a good excuse to slack in our discipline of prayer? I've found that, despite my craving for His presence, I'm often slow to run to the place of total surrender before I am completely exhausted in my own resources. Like any discipline, prayer is hard on the flesh. It requires me to stop all that is currently engaging me and walk away in to a place of silence. It requires me to settle all sibling squabbles and close my door. It requires me to dismiss all mental task lists and set them aside for a later time of completion.

And yet, just like all other disciplines, when I raise my knees (or face, depending on the day!) from the floor, I have a chat with myself that goes something like this:

Wow. That was amazing.

Why didn't I just come here first?

Why did I put this off?

This day would have been so much easier and so much more would have been accomplished if only...

Can we pray while going about our daily tasks? Absolutely. Can God answer prayers that are sporadic and inspire us by placing people or situations on our hearts outside of the concentrated prayer closet? Undoubtedly. But I'm finding that the greatest things happen when I'm actively pursuing His presence with my full attention given to Him alone.

The great Charles Spurgeon once said, "The impact of being alone with God in prayer cannot be overemphasized." As this series unfolds, let us challenge ourselves to increase our stamina of being alone with God in prayer. The potential of power has yet to be accessed in its fullness. Let's redefine Sanctuary. Let's dig in deeper to His presence.

Go to WEEK TWO of Prayer: The Series.

Join us each Monday in August for our series on prayer. Post your thoughts and prayer needs below each post, letting us know you're joining the series. Your name will be entered to win Debbie Morris' amazing book, The Blessed Woman.