Staying Motivated

Encouraging prayer, God offers open imitation for his people to talk with him at any time about anything, and encouraging prayer Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling and many other books on prayer provides weekly biblical insight help you learn to love and now sometimes about prayer like just one more thing we have to do we know we need to pray, but we struggle with actually doing it.

So the day on encouraging prayer to talk about staying motivated to pray.

James I'm excited to hear this. Where where we can start this is a really important thing to talk about Robbie because prayer isn't meant to be this legalistic thing or this thing that you know only super spiritual people can do and it's so easy to see it that way sometimes. Like you were saying in the week, we can see it. This is just work that we have to do, and you always have more things to do than you have hours in the day, it's easy to get discouraged by that thinking I get to the end of the day and I never really took that time. Instead, we need to see prayer is this encouraging thing because what it really is is were spending time in the presence of the one who gives your second Thessalonians 216 eternal encouragement. I mean, that's more than just words. For me that's the best thing about prayer. Just knowing him and I don't say that, like someone who was arrived about three-year-old prayer for Cub Scouts and prayer warriors. We talked about this. I cannot hurt you define prayer as being with Jesus and that relationship with God mean that's the best thing about it really is. You know the interesting thing is, even though we do know that we get pulled away and that's the battle we face every day. So true. It's a little like the man I God gave Israel in the wilderness right they had to eat it on the day they gathered it you couldn't live off yesterday's, except on the Sabbath, so they knew they had to do it if they wanted to eat that day and I think that's a healthy question to ask ourselves what are the things that were going to find if we do it or to come at it from another angle. One of the things that were going to miss if we don't I like that that's a great way to see it with the man let's go there for me. The first thing that comes to mind were going to get over that with MS is peace.

Think of the old him. What a friend we have in Jesus and oh what peace we often forfeit all what needless pain we bear, all because we do not carry everything to God in prayer, making him personable because the guy who wrote it actually lost to fianc�s shortly before they were to be married so he really knew the pain that he buried Nina when he didn't pray but most importantly Jesus promised us. This piece, and we can't have it. Apart from him and I found that if I don't seek him out intentionally first thing in the morning. So many things start taking a bite out of mesic CS Lewis talked about it in that way. He said that the first thing the morning our thoughts and our worries for the day rush at us like wild animals in our first priority becomes letting that larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in and and that's what is pieces like this. This larger life that pushes away worry and sorrow and fear. Sometimes I like to just before him, holding my hands open on my lap like I'm receiving the present and and to thank him for his peace like that. That especially helps when it seems like everyone around me is freaking out cool, so Jesus presence in this piece are to the main reasons for staying motivated, but what you say to the person he says I know that I still can't do it. I still have trouble praying with any consistency in my life. Will you know that the first thing I say is I want to encourage that person because God loves that kind of honesty. You know it's when we make ourselves real to him by speaking from the heart like that, that he has a way of making himself real to us. So just telling you to tell Jesus what you're struggling with praying with consistency and ask for his help with it just just talk it all out with them. Tell me don't feel like it sometimes you feel like you got better things to do and then ask him to make it something vital in your life, not just as going to the motions thing in and realize of course that discipline will always be a part of it.

I mean you have to get up and go get the manner right but all the while, what you are about is a mere just like that man. I was think about it you when I get to have this encounter this relationship with our Creator who loves us more than life and the possibilities the opportunities that can come out of that are beyond imagining so so him not only to help you stay motivated, but also ask him to come at it from this way, Lord, what you want to do today. You know, where do you want to go with that sense of anticipation so much in that question, and it brings us right back to Jesus again back to a relationship with him. So the things that can keep us motivated our relationship piece awareness of just how much we need him in the opportunities that await with him. How about tomorrow if we got as much time together that I think we might. So, another would be to take the word of God, and in turn it into prayer. If you're having trouble praying jump into the Psalms anywhere really and just start reading before too long you'll find a phrase will make you want to pray work look at the teachings of life of Jesus in Matthew Mark Luke John and just open a conversation with him about what he said work for what he did. You don't have to read too long until you find something, because the spirit moves through God's word like that to draw us to them. So just let Scripture be a springboard diving board if you will that you jump on a few times to go a little higher and then dive deeper in networks. Now we have time for one more so time to jump on a board of others needs of others, you know, there always needs around us. Of course in importance as those are not just about anything you can talk about that person comes to mind right now the first person you think of it may be a prodigal son or daughter or spouse or parent or sibling or the friend in the cubicle beside you work with that person in the hospital instead of worrying about them. Pray for them turn that were into prayer go over your thoughts about with God, and you find that your worrying less and that your hope for them increases your peace, just as you pray for them about that will increase. Just this morning I was reading about the blessing, Aaron gave the people of Israel in number six, 27 God says whenever Aaron and his sons bless the people of Israel in my name, I myself will bless them.

So God blesses others through us. God does it, but we get to be part of that is his word says that when we are believers were were priests, Peter says were part of a royal priesthood, so just think about what that means, you know we we can bless others. In Jesus name and they will be blessed and all that makes me want to pray you know it doesn't do that for you, absolutely does because it doesn't ask God to bless each of our listeners today. Jesus well like Karen and I would you help them commandeer presence and that which you shine your face and be gracious to just Lord, we would love that. In Jesus name I pray, amen and amen hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website James Banks.org or by visiting these church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray