Do It Anyway 

Just last month I wrote this in my journal:

“I don’t feel like reading my Bible this morning. Nor do I feel like praying…Feelings overwhelm me at this moment. Feelings of justified anger. Frustration. Weariness with how we are being treated. I’m so tired of not having support.” 

Maybe you’ve thought about similar things in your life. Like what in the world is God doing and how can I move past those feelings? Can I let you in on a little secret? I read my Bible anyway. I am in the book of Mark, studying and reading about the life of Christ. If I want my life to look like Christ’s I need to spend some time studying what He looked like. So I read in Mark 1:21-45. Want to know what part of that passage talks about? 

Jesus being weary. 

That’s right. Jesus got tired in his life of ministry and needed time alone. Do you need time alone? Jesus knows how you feel. Jesus then went up to the mountain to pray and connected with the father when He was weary. 

Prayer is Key

I’ll be the first to admit that sometimes when I’m weary I want to take a nap, I don’t want to connect with God. But God knows that’s exactly what I need. So let me encourage you today, Jesus knew what it was like to be tired and alone. And He prayed. Sometimes I am even too tired to read my Bible, but I can pray. 

I spent some time in prayer that day, but there have been days since I’ve had similar feelings. Prayer has been my lifeline. What do you pray for? How do you pray? If you would like, I have a course on developing a prayer habit. You can check it out here.

Let me leave you with these words: 

“Prayer does not fit us for the greater work, prayer is the great work.”  

Oswald Chambers

You do not have to be the correct, proper, or put-together Christian to pray. God invites all of us – flaws included – to pray to Him. And we don’t have to pray perfectly. We simply open our mouths, speak words to God, and sit in the silence to listen.