Posted 152 days ago
No Time for prayer…is that a problem?
Tom Sine
Increasingly those immersed in social media, email and their high pressured jobs tell us they no longer have no time for prayer. Often they feel very guilty and ask, “is that a problem?”
On a recent visit to Trinity Western University in British Columbia, Christine and I explained to students that not having time for God is a problem for all of us. One reason it is a problem is they are graduating into a much more volatile and high pressured future than their parents generation and, as a consequence, they will need to be more rigorous in setting aside time to be present to God and face to face communities if they are to weather these turbulent times and discover God’s best.
Several years ago before Christine and were as hardwired into all the new technologies we discovered we didn’t have enough time to really be as present to God through scripture and prayer. We are both morning people and that is the best time for us to focus on our spiritual practices. So we instituted a simple new discipline. No more staying up till 11 or 12 working on projects or watching a film. We instituted a 10 to 10:30 bedtime. It worked.
Going to bed earlier enables us to get-up by 6 am on work days. This makes it possible to have good chunk of time every morning to be present to God through the Anglican scriptures of the day, or spiritual practices and share a bit over breakfast. Since then I have added taking time most afternoons to be present to God in times of contemplation and praise. I find these disciplines really enable me to deal much more effectively with the growing challenges in my life. I also find I really miss these times of being present to God when things go out of control.
- What do you think about creating a regular time to be present to God as a way to take back your life in an increasingly time-pressured life in this volatile new decade?
- What might that look like for you?
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Reader Comments
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Tom, I am going to try this- going to bed around 10/10:30 every night. Next time we talk please ask me how I’m doing. The biggest issue I see with trying to form new habits is accountability.
-shalom!
JF
Jason Fowler » 150 days ago » Link