Do you find time to pray every day?
I’m not talking about the light-hearted, skip out the door, momentary acknowledgment of, “Thanks God for all the good you do,” and then off to work you go absorbed in pursuing personal goals.
Gratitude is important! But it’s just a start.
I’m talking about real prayer that gets you feeling closer to God than ever before. Prayer that shuts down mortal mind, silences physical sense, stops all fear, quiets the body and communes with the divine in a sacred place that reveals a fresh view of spiritual reality that permanently improves your outlook on life and makes you healthier and happier.
One woman lamented to me that she couldn’t find time to pray. I asked her, “Do you find time to eat?” She quickly responded, “Yes!” And I replied, to drive my point home, “Praying is more important than eating.” She was silent.
I explained that finding time to pray is all about priorities. We do what we feel is the most important activity. If we don’t pray, it’s because we don’t think it’s important. We reason that we can get by without praying. That earning money, running errands, doing what other people want us to do and entertaining ourselves is more important. Until prayer is seen to be important, our prayer-life suffers.
So, what’s more important to you? Finishing that long checklist of to-do items that never ends? Or feeling closer to God?
The answer is important.
In the short run, you might get away with sacrificing time with God. But in the long run, it’s the one activity that will keep you happiest and healthiest. It’s a wise investment to make now.
In terms of finding spiritual life, it’s more important than eating.
Thanks Evan for bringing out the importance of prayer so beautifully. Very well said indeed, that prayer is more important than anything in this world and in the long run prayer alone keeps us happiest and healthiest. Deeply grateful Evan for uplifting our thoughts daily.
Evan, thanks for the tough love. You are right!
Thank you Evan! What an important flag your lifted up this morning! Setting priorities! God centered thought and life! It is rewarding and the source of happiness, joy, peace, health, supply, yea as the Bible says, His Kingdom first and all else will be added to you” – not the exact words here….Happy prayer-life today and always….
Yes, “Pray without ceasing” answers the question of having found the time to adequately given prayer to Life. It is having given the right kind of prayer to having made it your own, thus living it moment by moment, as well as, day by day in our every action, in our every thought of self-expression. Just to have gratitude for, and joy over, the least of things, thoughts, or ideas, known to be given by Him for one’s every need is that kind of prayer. It is that kind of prayer when demonstrated by our every action throughout the day. Prayer becomes natural to us, and embedded, when prayer is lived. Oh, happy day!
Evan that´s just so true.
Experience is teaching me that no matter how rich, beautiful, successfull and admired I can be, if I can´t feel the Love of God, all these things get meaningless.
Many times we are lead to believe that once you achieve all those points mentioned above you´ll feel great. But this is not true.
You feel great when you get in contact to God.
And the deeper your connection with Him, stronger will be your enlightment experience.
Last night I realized how much I needed to feel God, and when I managed to shut the material thoughts down, then I felt His presence and felt so complete. All types of lack I was feeling before just vanished away !
Thank you for this straight forward message ! 😀
Could not agree more!! When things are going well it’s easy to think you don’t really need to pray deeply. With challenges prayer is the most natural thing.
Good analogy Evan, “DO YOU FIND TIME TO EAT?” Prayer comes first. A child like feeling of God leading, protecting, healing is first and most important. Every thing else is just the side effect of prayer.
This is sooo right on!! 🙂 🙂 Thank you!!
I had to laugh when I read the part about the never ending checklist of stuff to do — I don’t want that to be my eternity! Thanks for the reminder of what needs to be first, last, and always.
Thank you for reminding us to keep our priorities straight and, that there is nothing “selfish” about setting aside time for God. It’s the most important thing we can ever do!
Thanks Evan. Seek ye first the kingdom of God. Amen
MY AIM IS TO BE GOD-CONSCIENCE ALL DAY, REALLY on the God beam. Ideally this takes the prayer that Evan describes, not just once, but even 5 minurtes each hour, deeply in tune. Evan’s reminder is the true way to keep your thinking on God’s beam so your decisions, your thinking, comes from God, not self. Not easy.
Wooooah EVAN!!! What a way to put it !!!!!!
“Praying is more important than eating” must have stopped her in her tracks!! AND you just “knocked my socks off” !
“Praying is more important than eating” …also a great way to lose weight! I can see a good article coming up …fill your thoughts with good instead of food?
So I guess its more important than sitting on the computer too right? So Ill get off now that I have read the most important thought of the week!
Thankyou… as always!
Thank you, Evan.
I agree that it is so important to find time for prayer.
I do believe there is no formula and it is important for people to find their own voice from prayer.
How do you know when you find it ??? It brings a profound sense of peace not an euphoria.
I have also noticed that opportunities then come my way for me to demonstrate I understand what I am learning from prayer and that I am listening.
The only concern I have is that after I am finished with prayer this profound sense of stillness and peace starts to slowly evaporate throughout the day.
My happiest time is when I awake and involve myself in prayer in my beautiful office with the sunlight on my back that is pouring over my books and desk.
Christian Science is my Morning Meal.
I pray to have a career where this is my life.
Truth, Wisdom, Love and Sincerity, to ALL mankind.
Rob Scott
Chicago, IL
My prayer of late has been to ask God what I need to learn each day. I’ve tried to be still and listen to what God wants me to do.
Dear Evan,
Thank you so much for this blog. It gives me the opportunity to ask “How to pray so deeply” that our prayers are the REAL prayers that achieve the list you describe? Would you point us in that direction please.
Ann
Prayer is not just words, but an active fervent striving to understand God better. When you are understanding God better, you are advancing in your prayers. When you understand your relationship to God better, you are advancing in your prayers. Study of the Bible and Science and Health hasten this growth in understanding and fuel effective prayers.
Yes, as Evan stated it is an active fervent striving to understand God better.
It took me awhile to arrive at this fervent striving to where I am sustained by this profound sense of peace and love from prayer. It was the trials and tribulations that resulted in this fervent striving as there was no other way left for me but to surrender to God and trust Him.
There will come a time when you’re tested as one cannot know the strength of their own faith until it is tested as spiritual knowledge is only academic until that point.
I would add to Evan that you can also work with the articles on JSH Online. You can type in any subject and numerous metaphysical articles will appear to work with. I find there is a substance in the articles from the much earlier days in the movement that I just don’t see in a lot of the more recent ones of today. Work with the articles that move you and only follow them as far as they follow Christ.
Finally, I’ll close with my favorite quote regarding Mrs. Eddy as it is proof of her fervent striving Evan refers to:
“In the storm of misunderstandings and criticism, in the stress of ingratitude and betrayal; constantly tried as by fire; at times, all but overwhelmed by the waters of malice, envy, and hate; beset by poverty, homelessness, and loneliness, this women pressed on. Healing cases her students failed to heal, pondering and communing with her heavenly Father, she meekly broke the bread of Truth with her fellow men. In the face of opposition greater than the world had known since the advent of Christianity, she would not be swayed from her God-appointed task. In the secret recesses of her heart Mary Baker Eddy guarded the truth God had revealed to her.”
(Twelve years with Mary Baker Eddy – Rev. Irving Tomlinson, page 42)
Truth, Wisdom, Love and Sincerity, to ALL mankind.
Rob Scott
Chicago, IL
There really is nothing more to say, is there? Thank you for this spot-on post.
Thank you Evan,
I shall continue to strive and study and seek spiritual understanding.
Thank you again,
Ann