Two days ago, the devotional message for the Women’s Ministries devotional book 2024 that began the year was written by Heather-Dawn Small. She reminded us to prioritize and give God more space in our busy lives. It is a legacy with which she reminds us of the most important thing, time in prayer with God! Now she is no longer here to pray for us, but we are called to stand up for each other in prayer.
As a reminder of a great leader, mentor and sister for the women of the church, who was blessed with many talents and loved the Lord, we reprint her message here.
Now the ones that fell among thorns are those who, when they have heard, go out and are choked with cares, riches, and pleasures of life, and bring no fruit to maturity.
Luke 8:14 NKJV
If I could give you a spiritual thermometer and ask you to take the temperature of your prayer life, what would it look like? Would it read hot, cold, or lukewarm? When you take time alone with God, time when you open your heart to Him and share everything that concerns you or brings you joy, how much time do you spend in prayer?
Life is busy, too busy. It seems we are always moving; whether at home or outside our homes, we never stop. Even at our desks, we are constantly moving, typing, answering the phone, checking emails…and the list goes on. Sadly, many of us allow the busyness, the cares and trials we face, even the things that give us pleasure, to fill our every moment so that time with God is choked out of our life.
How can we live successfully in a sinful world without the One who has conquered sin and has the power to make us overcomers while living in this world? Where do we begin to recover time for prayer? Time with our Savior?
Let us look at three bible verses to help us refocus. First, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10 NKJV). Second, “But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matthew 6:33 NKJV). Third,
Then I looked on all the works that my hands had done
And on the labor in which I had toiled;
And indeed all was vanity and grasping for the wind.
There was no profit under the sun (Ecclesiastes 2:11 NKJV).
Both the psalmist and Matthew encourage and admonish us to make time to spend with with God, to give Him first place in our lives. Solomon’s dire warning reminds us that at the end of our lives, we will regret the time we spent trying to improve our lives. The unasked question is this, will we regret not spending more time with Jesus, preparing for eternity?
I challenge you, at the start of a new year, to examine your lives and ask, “Is prayer a priority in my life? If not – how can I change that today? I am praying for you, my friends. May we all grow closer to Jesus this year!
He Knows My Name Copyright © 2023 by Pacific Press Publishing Association