Tuesdays with Morris...

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful." (Colossians 4:2)

"Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray. Is anyone happy? Let him sing songs of praise. Is any one of you sick? He should call the elders of the church to pray over him and anoint him with oil in the name of the Lord. And the prayer offered in faith will make the sick person well; the Lord will raise him up. If he has sinned, he will be forgiven. Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." (James 5:13-16)

What are you devoted to? Well, if you just read the verses above, your answer probably goes along the lines of, "Um, I'm devoted to prayer...lifting up concerns, asking for forgiveness and healing, praising God...yeah, um, that's what I'm devoted to."

Okay, so, how would you have answered that question without reading the verses above? Many would say they are devoted to God, their spouse, their work, their children, etc. Those are good things to be devoted to. When people say they are devoted to God, what does that mean? What does it mean for you to be devoted to God? For me, I think it means to seek Him daily...by studying the Bible, praying in and about all things, taking time to praise Him, gathering with others for worship/study/prayer/, having fellowship with other Christians, doing all I can to develop a more intimate relationship with Him.

Being devoted to prayer can be hard. Some Christians only pray at church or when the going gets tough. Being devoted to prayer takes time, effort, and discipline. It can start by making a prayer time each day. Just know, you don't have to set aside 5 hours (though you can if you want). Start of slowly, with small amounts of time, and build from there. Commit to setting aside 5 minutes each morning and 5 minutes each evening to pray. In these prayers, take time to praise God for all He's done for you, lift up your concerns for others, lift up your own needs, thank God for hearing and answering your prayers, and take some time to quietly listen for Him to speak to you.

When God's people pray, things happen. "The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective." May we devote ourselves to prayer so that our prayers will become powerful and effective.