I once attended a lecture given by the late Bahamian pastor Myles Monroe, where he said a sad but true line: “The prayer meeting is the most important meeting in the church and the least attended meeting.”

At that same moment I remembered that I have often wondered why people DON'T LIKE PRAYER AND DESPISE PRAYER SO MUCH.

During these reflections I was reminded of this verse:

Jeremiah 2:32 Does a maiden forget her jewelry, a bride her wedding ornaments? Yet my people have forgotten me, days without number.

So I thought:

• Maybe it's because people don't have faith and think that their prayers don't matter to the results of their causes.

• Maybe it's because people don't have the patience to talk to God, listen to his voice and wait for things to happen.

• Maybe it's because people have too many things to do and think praying is a waste of time.

• Maybe it's because people don't believe their prayers are effective, so they don't pray and end up outsourcing their prayers, to the pastor or church workers.

• Maybe it's because people are spiritually lazy and think God will bless them anyway.

• Maybe it's because people don't like to talk to God and don't like to worship him.

• Maybe it's because people don't feel the need to come before God every day to give thanks and feel His presence.

• Maybe it's because people don't truly love God and think they don't need him.

But in fact , it matters little what the reasons are that lead people do not to pray, simply because no sufficient reason is justifiable for such an attitude, because all of them, in isolation or not, lead to spiritual weakening, spiritual coldness, making people easy targets for Satan's snares and works.

The lack of prayer generates the distance from God, generates the lack of faith.

Think of a wife who won't talk to her husband, for sure the couple's relationship will be absurd, where one won't know the other, even if superficially.

Jesus prayed a lot when he was among us as a man and made it clear, in many verses of the Bible, the need TO PRAY CONTINUOUSLY.

Philippians 4:6 Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray continually.

Luke 18:1 Then Jesus told his disciples a parable to show them that they should always pray and not give up.

Romans 12:12 Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer.

Ephesians 6:18 And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints.

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

So I recommend you, start fighting laziness, or the feelings that make you not pray.

Pray with understanding, paying attention to your words, not saying something and thinking about something else that has nothing to do with your words.

Remember, PRAYER IS A CONVERSATION WITH GOD.

Moments of prayer, in the presence of God, will build your life and help you to overcome your struggles, as your faith will be increased and the presence of the Holy Spirit will manifest in you.

The Lord bless you and keep you.

Pastor Val Martins