A man said to his doctor, “Don’t give me any big medical words, tell me in plain language what is wrong with me!” the doctor replied, “In plain English, there is nothing wrong with you. You are just lazy.” The man answered, “Now give me one of those big medical words so I can tell my wife.”
When we reflect on the many benefits of prayer it is astonishing that we don’t pray more. God has given us thousands of promises in His word. He has invited us to pray. He has given us a model prayer. He has given us numerous examples of miraculous answers to prayer.
We have witnessed changes in other people’s lives when they prayed. We have personally experiences answers to our own prayers. So why don’t we pray more? There are, no doubt, several reasons for our prayerlessness, but I believe one of the main causes is what the doctor said. We are just plain lazy!
Prayer can be an awful lot like work. I am not teaching about the blessing before the meal, or the “now I lay me down to sleep” prayer of a small child. Prayer would be no problem to us if we could get our praying done while going through a revolving door or while the commercial is on television. I am speaking of going alone in your prayer closet for a meeting with the Lord of glory.
An old hymn tells us to “Take time to be holy.” It also takes time to pray. It certainly does if we are going to pray things through. Real prayer is not like a want list to Santa Claus. Real prayer is praising the Lord, presenting our petitions, and waiting on Him for the answer. That kind of praying no only gets answers to your petitions, but it will change your life when you spend time in His presence.
God will lay a burden on your heart and you may experience a time of travail in prayer but not if you are too lazy to pray. There may be times when He will call upon you to add fasting to your prayers. Through fasting your physical appetites are brought under control and you become more sensitive to the leading of the Holy Spirit.
Jesus said our joy would be full when we see our prayers answered. A complacent selfish spoiled generation will never know that fullness of joy. Why? Because they are too lazy to pray. And I don’t have any fancy theological term to describe it. Just plain lazy!
J.T. Parish is the Founding Pastor of Christian Fellowship Church. He further serves on the Church Leadership Council, as Chairman of the Board of World Missions and Evangelism, and as President of the School of Ministry.