The Time Is Now - Developing A Lifestyle Of Prayer

right way" or "with the right attitude." An outside observer may even assume you're just stubborn. You know your heart's desire is to do the right thing, but that desire is deadened by paralysis and lethargy, rooted in fear. Lack of motivation to pray is closely related to being ove1whelmed as discussed in Appen­ dix B, so you will probably benefit from reading that as well. Also, here are a few steps to con­ sider if you face a wall of apathy. First, ask God for a growing passion and love for Him. Even if you make this your only prayer request for weeks to come, ask for this. When God stirs your heart to the point that longing for Him ove1whelms your fear, then you'll find the momentum to overcome the bar­ riers inside you (see Lesson 7; alsoJeremiah 29:13). Second, "Taste and see that the Lord is good" (Psalm 34:8). God invites us to take Him at His word that He can be trusted. When we simply act on His promises, over time He creates within us confidence, joy, security, and passion. Act on faith and "go through the motions" if you must. Sometimes behavior precedes feelings. Don't wait until you feel like praying. Just pray. Then, in time, you will experience the emotional fruit of God's Spirit rewarding you inwardly (Galatians 5:22-23). Third, consider possible misconceptions you may believe about prayer. For example, do you buy into the fallacy that prayer must always be done in a certain place and posture, eyes closed, hands folded? Certainly we must guard time for undistracted prayer. But God is with us all day long, and He enjoys our ongoing conversation with Him even while we're driving, working, eating, talking, or dealing with a crisis. All of these are good times to talk with Him, even if it's a quick word or two. Other misconceptions include the idea that we can't go to God with an impure heart (how else to purify our hearts, but to confess the impurity to God?); that we must drum up a certain level of "reverence" before praying (often reverence grows as we pray, not before); or that prayer is a fruitless waste of time (what greater use of time than to call on the God of the uni­ verse to act in His own best interest?). Some other mistaken ways of thinking about prayer are addressed throughout the lessons in this book. Fourth, examine your heart to see what you are living for. What do you spend the most time, money, and effort pursuing throughout your week? What are your affections set upon? There are many possibilities besides God-wealth, influence, toys, convenience, pleasure, and so on . None of these, in iself, is necessarily evil. But evaluate whether God has been dis­ placed by something else at the center of your heart. If so, then it is no wonder you have dif­ ficulty mustering passion for Him. What do you do if you discover such an intruder? Ask God to change your heart. And ask someone you trust for help (see Lesson 10). It isn't easy to change your heart's affections, especially when you've set them on an unworthy object for a long time. Asking for help is