Read time: 4 minutes
“He will call on me, and I will answer him; I will be with him in trouble, I will deliver him and honor him.” (Psalm 91:15 NIV)
Quick prayers pack a punch.
For many of us, culture identifies prayer as time-consuming, requiring a schedule. Praying is reverent, spiritual, and intentional. Creating a lifestyle of prayer isn’t tricky, but does require discipline.
Paul, in his letter to the Thessalonians, gave direction on what we are to do:
“Pray continually.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17 NIV)
Every day we are to fill it with prayer. From the time we awake until we lay our head down at night, we’re to pray. Starting the day off with quiet time, reading the Bible, journaling, etc. begins the conversation. As you make breakfast, shower, and go about your day, don’t stop talking to God. Keep the communication going with quips.
Tweet prayers to God.
Twitter, a popular social media site, allows 280 characters per post. Anything over that number of letters is not permitted. As a result, people must express their thought within those parameters. An example of the length of tweet” prayers; this paragraph is 279 characters long.
You can pack a big punch with 280 characters, or even half that number. Not too long ago, Twitter’s maximum character count was 140. People were adept at getting their point across with fewer words. Technology causes us to shorten our communication, so we receive information quickly and efficiently. We can use this new way of thinking to help us talk with God continually.
Continuous prayer doesn’t mean long dialogues with eloquent words. Instead, keeping in touch with God throughout your day accomplishes the goal. Unlike your spouse or best friend, God always answers. He has a ready reply to whatever tweet you send. Short, heartfelt prayers are as reverent, spiritual, and intentional as long-winded ones, maybe even more.
Here are examples of a 140 character or less prayers:
“Lord, help me.”
“Lord, give me words.”
“Lord, keep my mouth shut.”
“Lord, bless them.”
“Lord, correct them.”
“Lord, show them the way.”
“Lord, forgive them.”
Are you beginning to get the drift? I’m praying in 140 characters or less you will: “Lord, eyes to see and ears to hear.”
Whether your conversation with God is short or long isn’t the most crucial part. Acknowledging Him throughout your day is what matters. None of us stay connected 24/7 to the Higher Power, but He is always waiting when we sign back on to the network. Just like wifi connects us to the internet, prayer connects us to the God of the universe. He set the stars in place; He can help you with whatever problems you’re facing today.
A prayer’s length isn’t what matters. Connecting with God continually throughout your day is where the power lies.
Question of the Day:
What short prayers keep you connected to God?
Further Reading: Jeremiah 39-41NIV, 2 Timothy 1 NIV, Psalm 90-91 NIV, Proverbs 26:1-2 NIV
