Prayer without action is simply infatuation- You might think you are, but are you really in love?

What happens during our times of prayer is important, but not as important as what comes after.  An argument can be made, that if our prayer station isn’t moving us toward the lost, into acts of service, or internal transformation, then it’s at best a good feeling of accomplishment, and at worst, a waste of time. 

Prayer is not contractual, where we commit to a length of prayer each day.  It’s not transactional either, where most of our time is spent asking and expecting to receive.  It’s more about attention, asking God for the gift of presence, and organizing our day around the practice, instead of trying to manage it around our busy day.

The question is not how long I pray.   Rather, where is my attention, and what does that attention love? 

In church yesterday I noticed a child clutching a Sunday school lesson.  It read: “Prayer is talking with God.” If we ever get too far away from that definition, we will be surprised at how dry, inconsistent and impudent our prayer life has become. 

Talking fosters love. 

Talking is relationship. 

Talking builds a bridge between the seen and the unseen.

Talking precedes action, it’s the formation of a plan that both you and God have discussed, and that He has given you the freedom to live out.  A plan to build the kingdom around us, and the kingdom within.

If attention is on the talking, then action will inevitably follow.

Our ministry used to host a youth prayer conference called Something’s Happening USA.  It was subtitled a ‘prayer and action event.’ Students would learn to pray, fall more in love with Jesus, and then something remarkable would happen.  When they got home, they couldn’t help bearing witness. He, who had taught them how to talk with Him, had moved them to talk to anyone about Him.  

Yes, if prayer doesn’t lead to action, then was it prayer at all?