Instant Prayer

Instant Prayer

And it came to pass in those days, 

that He went out into a mountain to pray,

and continued all night in prayer to God.

~Luke 6:12

As a child, I was taught that the proper way to pray was to get down on my knees, fold my hands, close my eyes, and then pray.  Doing it some other way seemed to be reserved for emergencies.  As I grew older, I didn’t feel that I had the time for all the formalities, and I’m sure there was a time when I didn’t pray much at all.

College brought a new perspective, when one of my professors introduced me to “Instantaneous Prayer.”  As soon as you had a need, a thought, or an impression to do so, you prayed immediately, regardless of where you were.  Talking with God as to a friend took on a new meaning for me.  If something great happened, I thanked Him immediately.  If I walked into danger or fear, prayers flew out of mind or mouth – which ever was working clearly.  Anywhere, anytime, I could speak to God, and He was eagerly waiting to listen.

This verse from Luke 6 has always made me feel very inadequate in my prayer life.  There is no way I could pray all night – I would be asleep in 5 minutes, and the Lord and I both know that.  I also know that He is happy to hear from me whenever I lift my heart to Him, at any time of the day or night.

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Whisper a prayer in the morning,

Whisper a prayer at noon.

Whisper a prayer in the evening

To keep your heart in tune.

God answers prayer in the morning,

God answers prayer at noon.

God answers prayer in the evening,

So keep your heart in tune.