I have to recommit every day in order to prioritize my prayer life. This time genuinely sustains my life. It gives me rest, energy and peace. Without it, I can’t imagine what my life would be like.

My marriage definitely wouldn’t be as close.

My parenting wouldn’t even be remotely peaceful – in fact, I know this because I tried it for 5 years before I figured this out.

My mental health would be dangerously unstable – with stress levels off the charts and fear of all life’s “what-if”s and potential negatives sending my hope for the future up in flames.

A strong prayer life is the only thing that keeps me balanced. I know because I haven’t always had it…. But, the closer I grow to Him and the more time I spend with Him, the more the weight of everything else genuinely seems to fade.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” ~ Matthew 11:29-30

Click to Listen!

This relationship didn’t happen overnight. It is something I have had to actively cultivate for years. And, the closer I get to Him, the more I need Him. And the more time I spend with Him, the more I get done in a day. It’s truly amazing…

Lately, however, the busyness of life has been threatening to take over my prayer time. I have been fighting an internal battle over what is more important, “taking care of people” or spending time with God.

Should I prioritize my prayer life over other truly important things?

What about service to those who need me – like my family? How about church ministry or self-care?

I am an overachiever. I always think I can do more than is humanly possible. When someone asks me for help I naturally always feel that I need to go above and beyond for them. I lean strongly toward “Martha syndrome” and love to do more than is asked of me in order to impress people or try to show them they are loved, and yet… all that does in the end is stress me out and creep in on my prayer time.

Then, I am torn. I sometimes even find myself in tears wanting to hide away and pray and/or write in peace but feeling obligated to do so many other things that need to be done and people that need to be loved. Sometimes my desire to pray feels SELFISH!!!

And yet,

How important is it to prioritize my prayer life?

Love is like blood being pumped through the heart. Oxygenated blood must come in in order to be pumped out to nourish the rest of the body.

Our relationship with God is breath. It is life!

It is oxygen entering our body in order to give life to our blood.

Blood that has not been oxygenated is worthless to the body, no matter how much the heart beats.

I am the way, the truth, and the LIFE! ~ John 14:6

Excuses and Distractions

And yet, still I waiver. I doubt. I make excuses. I tell myself I don’t have time to pray.

I question whether my relationship with God, my prayer life should really be the most important part of my life?

This is like asking myself, “Should I breathe right now?”

This should not even be a question!

But still, HE IS ALWAYS THE ANSWER!!!!

Spiritual Warfare

And, yet this is how the enemy takes us from God. He distracts us from God with GOOD things. He makes us think that WE are the ones who can solve other people’s problems or truly help them… but really ONLY Christ can.

Acts of love, kindness, fellowship, and friendliness are beautiful things in their time and place, but NOTHING should keep us from God.

The enemy can only tempt good people with good things (or it wouldn’t be a temptation). All He needs to do is keep us from breathing until we pass out or die.

This isn’t just a simple, everyday, “unimportant” matter of distraction, or busyness. This isn’t just a matter of “to love or not to love”, “to serve or not to serve”?

This is a matter of spiritual WARFARE. This is a matter of life or death!

You literally cannot serve if you are passed out from a lack of oxygen. You literally CANNOT love if you are spiritually dead.

God is love. God is LIFE. LOVE IS LIFE. Love is GOD.

God isn’t just a nice addition to your life. He IS your life. Without Him you have nothing, you can do NOTHING.

Are you prioritizing your prayer life?

Maybe you feel like you have passed out or even died. Maybe you wonder why HE (God) isn’t reviving you.

I ask you this: Maybe you need to stop holding your breath!!!

God isn’t the one acting here. He is waiting for YOU! He merely offers Himself. We have to accept Him.

Breathing is an active choice. Yes, we breathe naturally, but we can choose to hold our breath. We can choose not to allow God into our lungs, our heart, our blood.

CHOOSE to let Him in today! Seek Him out. Come up for air! Stop holding your breath!

What are you choosing?

Maybe you need a couple diagnostic questions to help you out –

Are you tired, weary, run down? Wondering why it is so hard to keep loving? Why your heart feels so weak?
Do you feel like you are alone? Like you have to “do so much” by yourself?

Martha, burdened with much serving, came to Him and said, “Lord, do you not care that my sister has left me by myself to do the serving? Tell her to help me.” -Luke 10:40

Maybe it would be worth it to choose with Mary the better part?