I Don’t Want to Pray

 Great Day Readers!!!

I am sure you are seeing the title of this blog and are truly puzzled since the blog is based on conversations with GOD and prayer is conversations with GOD. So, I want to explain myself and get to the thoughts behind the title. On yesterday before we started the recording of our podcast Jesus+Therapy, Sis (check us out on Spotify and Youtube, make sure to like, share, follow, subscribe, hit the bell, and leave a comment) I told my sister I had got a text from one of our friends about an event called “The Gathering.” I looked at the website for the event saw several pastors and ministry leaders that I knew and I was like ok interesting. The friend was like you should be here sis. I told the friend that I did not see anything pulling me to come to the event. She was like you don’t know who these people are, I was like yes. She went on to state how some of the speakers were Generals in prayer and how they influenced her life. I was ok. She was like you don’t feel pulled sis 😲😲😲. I didn’t respond. Because to be honest no I didn’t feel pulled. I then made a statement to my sister before the recording ” I don’t want to pray”!

 I know what you are thinking and we did a whole podcast on my statement. Let me explain what I mean. There are people that are called to the place of intercession. They are passionate about interceding for others, praying, and going before the thorn to get all the heavens and experience GOD on so many levels.  Ya’ll that ain’t me. If I could be honest with you, my readers, I struggle to pray and this particular friend is a general in prayer. I mean she shifts atmospheres with her prayers, and she is passionate about that area. She even wrote a book about it and it is great. When I said, ” I don’t want to pray”, I simply mean that I don’t want to be so caught up in the experience of someone’s ability to pray a certain way that I don’t find my own way to talk to Daddy. I stated in the podcast that people pray from their prayer experience. Don’t believe me, let’s check the bible. Jesus prayed from the position of the savior, he was able to have an open and honest dialogue with Daddy about how he felt and what he was thinking. David prayed from a place of pay and wanting relief, which is why we see him being angry and then reminding himself that he has to focus on Daddy. The disciples prayed from a place of hope and intimacy because they had tangible encounters with GOD. The Children of Israel prayed from a place of promise and hope because they saw what GOD could do when they were obedient and sometimes even when they weren’t. So many times when we pray, we become so intimidated by the experience of others that the spirit of comparison takes over we find ourselves not wanting to pray. 

It’s not that I don’t love to pray, I do, however, there are times were my prayers, because of my experiences and my desires to go to another level where I find myself in a place of intercession. However, my passion and positions in that prayer time are to really just have a little talk with Jesus. I don’t want to find myself in a place of comparison with those that may have a deeper level of prayer, and feel the need to force myself to be there. To be that deep, to go through some experience that is really not mine to be able to be on their level. If I have to do what they do in order to GOD’s attention I am like this, I don’t want to pray.  

There are times in our lives as believers that we find ourselves in a position where we want GOD on another level, however, we want Him through our authentic experience. We don’t want to feel like we have to work to talk to GOD or that we have to do what everyone else is doing. We want to work our part in the body of Christ and not be judged or ridiculed that we don’t look like everyone else. I think this is why have people who were once saved saying they don’t want to do this anymore and why we have a generation that is not desiring GOD like past generations. 

Can I be honest? We make everything about GOD in religion impossible. That’s why I feel that body of Christ, Christians are always being judged and talked about. Between the rules of the various denominations and the attributes of what holiness looks like, it becomes overwhelming to want to connect with an untouchable GOD. It makes prayer a chore and not a conversation of intimacy and with the expectation of response. 

My prayer is that as you read this you realize that your prayer life is based on your personal experience with Christ and your relationship with Daddy. That you do not fall into the trap of comparison that it causes you to not want to pray or even respond in prayer when life creates situations beyond your understanding.

Prayer:  Daddy, help us to remember the principles of prayer and the goal to connect and communion with you. Helps us not to get caught up in another person’s experience that we must our own personal experience with you. Helps to see prayer as an exciting time to communicate with you and not a chore because it’s the job of what a believer is suppose to do. Help us not become intimidated by other’s experience or feel judged by their prayer growth. Let become motivation for us to want to communion with you more. In Jesus Name! AMEN