The Desire to Pray
Chapter 2 of Prayer, Tim Keller gave me a pretty hefty gut check. The quote below has led me to really examine my prayer life:
The infallible test of spiritual integrity, Jesus says, is your private prayer life. Many people will pray when they are required by cultural or social expectations, or perhaps by the anxiety caused by troubling circumstances. Those with a genuinely lived relationship with God as Father, however, will inwardly will want to pray and will pray even though nothing on the outside is pressing them to do so. They pursue it even during times of spiritual dryness, when there is no social or experiential payoff.
I told a group of staff members in a meeting last week that my prayer life is my constant struggle. I wrestle with praying the same things all the time with little deviation or change. My richest prayers often come when I’m driving; other times they can almost be rote.
Am I beating myself up a little over my prayer life? Possibly. Because I want to pray, and I’m aware of how much I should pray. But does that desire burn within me to inspire passionate communication with God? That’s where I fear I fall short.
For a long time, I’ve desperately sought after a more vibrant prayer life. Maybe it starts with a check of my desire to pray. I’m hoping that as we dig deeper into this book, I’ll discover some of the answers and keys to making prayer more exciting for me.