Remembering to Pray

Sometimes I forget to pray. And sometimes I forget to pray for a while.
Life gets busy, or I don’t find myself with quiet alone time and talking
to God gets pushed aside. But praying is so important, especially during
the busy times. It’s good to talk to God about what’s on my mind and be
reminded of the relationship I have with Him.

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It can be hard to remember to pray, but Jesus gave us an example of how
to make special time for prayer. He often went off by Himself, found a
quiet spot, and spoke with the Father. Jesus did this many times during His
ministry. Even when it didn’t seem like He had time to pray, that’s
especially when He withdrew to be alone with the Father (Luke 5:15-16).

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One night, Jesus knew that He was going to be betrayed by one of His
disciples very soon, and He took time to pray to the Father for the people
He was about to die for. He asked the Father that they would be protected,
sanctified, and unified in love (John 17:11-23). This is a beautiful
demonstration of the sacrificial love that Jesus has for us—He prayed for
us before His death. Jesus’s prayer reminds us of who He chose to die for
and why He chose to go through with the brutal, humiliating, lonely death
on the cross. It’s for us. Jesus knew that His death would provide the only
way for us to be with Him forever (verse 24). And after Jesus rose from the
dead, He ascended to the right hand of God, where He continues to pray for
us (Romans 8:34).

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As we wait for Jesus’s return, we still get to talk with Him through
prayer. And, like Jesus prayed before He went to the cross, we can pray
before we go through hard things. As we take time for conversation with our
Savior, He helps recenter us. He reminds us that He loves us, that He is
with us through every challenge we face, and that He will help us face
those challenges in love. • Naomi Zylstra

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• We can talk to God anywhere and anytime—He loves to hear our prayers,
including the short, quick ones. Even so, why do you think God invites us
to take time alone with Him to pray?

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• When in your day do you like to pray? How could you make a habit of
praying at this time every day (or at least most days)?

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They went to a place called Gethsemane, and Jesus said to his disciples,
“Sit here while I pray.” Mark 14:32 (NIV)

Read Verses:

Luke 5:15-Luke 5:16; John 17; Mark 14:32