Spiritual Discipline/Prayer

Do not practice long-drawn-out devotions, but rather give yourself to prayer at intervals, as you would to food.

  - Comghall, Rule (Irish, 6th century)

Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.

  - Psalm 119.164

We are mistaken if we believe that the few minutes we spend in morning devotions will suffice to nourish and sustain our souls throughout the remainder of the day. Even if we increase our morning prayer and reading to an hour or more, still, we will need to be resupplied before the day is finished.

The saints of Scripture understood this, and we frequently find them praying at intervals throughout the day, as Daniel (chapter 6) and the apostles (Acts 3). Praying at various times, even set times, throughout the day can help us to approximate the idea of praying without ceasing, which Paul commands (1 Thess. 5.17).

But how shall we do this? Well, we should make appointments with God, to meet Him for prayer. Then, come to each time - no more than 5-10 minutes - with some specific prayer item to use: a psalm to pray, or the list of the people in your Personal Mission Field, or just random reasons to praise the Lord as the Spirit leads.

Use these prayer intervals also to thank God for the day thus far and to seek His will and help for the things that remain. Hang your day on prayer and you will know greater strength, joy, and sense of the Lord's presence with you.

The hard part of this is being willing to take the time, to interrupt whatever you're doing, or somehow, in the midst of doing it, find a way to focus your thoughts on God and to offer your prayers to Him. But it's a worthwhile discipline which will enrich your walk with the Lord and your awareness of the larger, unseen realm.

Try it for a week, and you'll see just how beneficial this discipline can be.

Today at The Fellowship of Ailbe

Please keep us in your prayers. Our Members meet next Monday night in The Gathering, and we have some important matters before us, as we consider more effective ways of serving the men in ministry to whom God has called us.

Thank you very much for sharing your prayers and gifts with us. Your support is greatly appreciated. If you'd like to contribute, simply use the donate button here or on the web page, or send your gift to The Fellowship of Ailbe, 100 Lamplighter Ct., Hamilton, VA 20158.

T. M. Moore, This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.