I almost forgot

Prayer is a really easy concept for all of us but so many times, I think we get distracted and take it for granted. I have had a couple of different theories on prayer as I have been in life. I don't think either is wrong but over the years I have tried to employ both. 

When I was in high school, I prayed like a crazy man. I would put Christian metal on in my walk man and call down fire from Heaven for hours. I couldn't do anything before I went through this process. It was like Ray Lewis yelling at his team before a game. I am sure there was a dance and a scream that accomypanied it. It worked for me. 

When I was in college, I worked with a guy that changed my opinion a lot. We went and did a kid's service and he just kinda chilled. He was sitting around relaxing, I think he may have been drinking coffee. I remember asking, "Are we gonna pray?" He just looked at me and calmly said, "I prayed for this for the last week, I am good. You are welcome too." I remember being confused thinking so what am I supposed to do? I don't drink coffee and I have to move around. I have never been one to just sit. Especially when I have a little bit of nervous energy. Praying all crazy had been a way to distract me and prepare me, but I didn't feel like I could just go and pray if the guy I was working for and helping was just gonna sit there and drink coffee. I think just the nervousness and confusion caused me to sweat through my deodorant. Of course, it may have just been because it was hot? Who knows? It makes sense though, if I spend time praying in preparation for something, I shouldn't need a special prayer time before a service. So, I actually kind of developed that as a way of doing things for a few years. 

A few years later, I was volunteering at a church as a preschool leader. The pastor at the church had a big preservice prayer time. Basically, a bunch of guys, some of the church staff, and a handful of prayer warriors would go in a prayer room and pray before every service on every Sunday. It was cool. The pastor even invited men in the church to come pray with him during that time. I was honored because I was just a young guy who he asked and I never even actually went to a Sunday morning service because we were always helping with the kids. I began to notice a few things though. I prayed for my service with the kids during the week and if I missed that I didn't think it was a big deal. I would only miss it on Sundays where stuff got busy or if we were running a little late. I noticed as definite difference in my time with the kids. If I didn't pray, something was going to go wrong. The kids would be hyper. Johnny would punch Trevor. Sally would glue the craft to her face or worse her new dress. It would always be something. Sunday's where I made sure starting my day with prayer was a priority stuff went smoother. Or at least it  seemed that way. I made sure that I got there early enough to pray. I made prayer a priority on Sunday mornings before my service time. 

Over the years, I have kept that prayer time. It has developed into a personal prayer time, usually about 6:30 or 7 on Sunday morning in my office. I still pray throughout the week for my services, my volunteers and leaders, the kids and the parents that will be at our church. It still amazes me though how if I get busy or distracted from prayer I am not in the right spot that day. I think you have to have both prayer before a service and during the week. Can we ever really pray to much for something? 

Just saying, don't forget to pray. It is easy. We all have things going every single day. I hope you are taking time to pray for things coming up. I also hope you are praying for the Holy Spirit to be with you in whatever things you have going. Meeting, evaluations, tests or whatever can be things to pray for. It may even be easier if you are just praying daily any how. Just don't forget about prayer. It does make a difference.