Our Lord Jesus Christ taught us how to pray with the famous prayer tagged ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. He also admonished us to pray with promises of answering our prayer requests. But some Christians face certain challenges that range from exhaustion after daily tasks, weak faith, laziness, impatience and lots more making the act of prayer a tough undertaking. BETTY AMUKPO puts forward the question: Would you say prayer is difficult? Children respond. Excerpts:
‘Prayer is never a difficult activity’
Prayer is never a difficult activity and we should not see it so because of God’s Love for us. He wants us to come close to Him and prayer is one of the ways of being close to God because God has everything we want and need. It is written in the book of 1John 5:14 “This is the confidence we have in approaching God: that if we ask anything according to his will, He hears us”.
• Gideon Eyinade
‘Prayer is difficult because it involves talking to someone we cannot physically see’
Prayer is a spiritual discipline that needs to be cultivated. Prayer is difficult because prayer involves talking to someone we cannot physically see, hear or touch so it can be hard to believe that God is listening to us.
• Umennadi Francis
‘It is only difficult when we succumb to our human flesh’
Prayer is talking to God and God talking to us. I would not say that prayer is difficult. To me, it is only difficult when we succumb to what our human flesh wants, which leads to laziness. It is said in Matthew 27:41. “Watch and pray so that you will not fall into temptation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” This also applies to us saying prayers in the wrong form and manner. Most of us would rather pray for prosperity and wealth instead of wisdom, knowledge and the fear of God. Also, when our faith is shaken, we tend to believe that prayer is difficult. Whereas, when we pray diligently and fervently it becomes a part of us. We should develop a meaningful routine that brings joy and hope to us.
• Victoria Okefe
‘Praying for certain length of time makes it looks as if prayer is hard’
Prayer as we all know is the means of communicating to God. Most of us think that prayer is hard all because we put pressure on ourselves. God is unable to reach us because we have no interior need for Him and that is why some feel that prayer is hard. Praying for certain length of time also makes it looks as if prayer is hard, but it is not hard. Prayer helps us to use our superior weapon; it also makes God’s resources available to us.
Qualities of prayer we ought to have:
• Pray privately. Matt.6:5,6
• Pray genuinely, honestly and reverently. Matt.6:7,8
• Pray with variety. The Lord’s Prayer. Matt.6:9-13.
Tips on prayer:
• Don’t be too hard on yourself
• Visit the Blessed Sacrament
• Read and pray with the Bible
• Fast regularly
• Pray for humility
• Overcome distractions.
God never despises the prayer of the faithful made from a sincere heart, made in humility. No, He Won’t. Prayer is merely focusing our mind and heart in the direction of God.
• Chima Anita
‘It can only be difficult if we don’t have a relationship with God’
Prayer is daily communication with God. Prayer is not a difficult activity. It is just like having a normal daily discussion with our Father. It can only be difficult if we don’t have a relationship with God. You just need to put your heart and mind to God then you will know what to say. Praying is one of the easiest ways of communication. Once your heart and mind is with God, it will be very easy to pray to Him. Praying is the source of life. If we can pray about anything, we can achieve almost everything and there will be no more suffering. Prayer is not a difficult activity. It’s the easiest activity that anyone can perform. 1Thessalonians 5:16–18 admonishes us to: Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
• Blossom Akalezi
‘Prayer is a difficult activity because it’s so difficult to pay attention’
I think that prayer is a difficult activity because it’s so difficult to pay attention, and it involves talking to someone we can’t see, hear or touch. (Psalm 59:16). It can be hard to believe that God is listening to us. (Psalm 50:15). But we have to stay focused on God (Romans 10:1).
• Stephen Victory
‘I am always distracted when praying with things around me’
Prayer is an act of lifting our heart and soul to God. Prayer is a solemnity request for help or expression of thanks to God. We pray for so many reasons. We pray to thank God for all the things He is doing for us; for life, health of mind and body and for his provision and protection.
Yes, prayer is difficult to me because of the following reasons:
• Distraction: I am always distracted when praying with things around me. It is a barrier to my prayers because I need to communicate effectively with God to tell Him my needs. Human mind finds it difficult to dwell for long on a single thought.
• Dryness in prayer: When prayer seems to do no good and inspires no joy, there is no urge to pray again.
• Forgetfulness: Not being able to remember some of the prayers and therefore one cannot pray.
• Sleep: This is another distraction to my prayers. Whenever I want to pray the spirit of sleepiness sets in.
• Fear: We must overcome fear with faith and pray because God does not count our past sins but ready to receive us.
But to be able to withstand all these, one needs to be persistence in prayer and be more committed to God. 1st Thessalonians 5:17, to pray at all times. Pray without ceasing. James 5:13, says, is anyone among you in trouble, he should pray…. Also psalm 60:15 says save us by your might, answer our prayer. So prayer is important, we should not be weak to pray but be courageous. Proverb 24:10, says if you are weak in crisis, you are weak indeed so let us be strong and be courageous in prayer so that God will hear and answer our petition. Peace be with us all.
• Anyasor Chibuike
‘It is difficult because we are talking to someone we cannot see’
Yes, it is, it is difficult because now prayer involves talking to someone we cannot see or hear (well may be not all of us), so we need to have faith and believe that He is hearing us. The above reason is why I say prayer is difficult.
• Ebubechukwu Chinedu
‘It is hard to sometimes focus on prayer at the moment we get distracted by many things’
Yes, prayer is a difficult activity we forget sometimes that a majority of the people in the climate in which we live are against prayers, non believers make mockery of others who wants to pray out in the public. More so, sometimes being short on discipline in our prayer life make praying really hard. It is hard to sometimes pay attention or focus on the prayer at the moment we get distracted by many things abstract and visible.
• Awaki Barnabas