I Love Technology
Colossians 4:2 Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving.
Prayer is something that many people, in fact most people, struggle with.
I remember being asked to lead a short devotion time at the beginning of a Christian leaders’ conference some years ago. It was my first time at this particular conference, so I was very much the new kid on the block. As I prayed and sought the Lord about what to say, I felt led to talk about the importance of spending time alone with God in prayer.
How embarrassing! Can you imagine?! All these Christian leaders who have been around for years, and me – the new kid – lecturing them about something as simple, something as basic as spending time with God. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, it’s to listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit and to follow His lead.
So, for two or three minutes, that’s what I spoke about that morning. And what an interesting response.
One by one, during the breaks, morning and afternoon tea, lunch – people came up to me and quietly confessed “It’s something I really struggle with too. I’m so busy. There are so many distractions.”
Seriously, it’s a pretty scary thing. These were, after all, prominent Christian leaders heading up some pretty significant ministries. So if this is something you struggle with as well, making time to pray, to read your Bible, to wait quietly on God, then let me tell you, you’re not alone.
Me, I love technology. I always have, since I was a kid. These days, I absolutely love getting my smartphone to synch with my computer and blogging on my tablet while I’m down at the local café. It just … flicks my switch. And so, when I get up early in the morning, the big temptation is to be distracted by what’s come in overnight.
The emails from around the world, the digital, social media … and before you know it, any idea of spending quiet time with God just flew out the window.
But this morning, I spent a quiet forty or so minutes with God, praying. I’m generally up around 4-4:30am at the latest alone in my study with the door closed, my Bible open … and can I tell you something, I didn’t want it to end.
Please don’t get the idea that I did it out of any sense of obligation, like a chore or a duty or something. Because the more time you spend alone with Jesus, the more awesome it gets.
Sure, the world has some great toys and trinkets to play with. Absolutely it does. But nothing … absolutely nothing compares to those precious, intimate times alone with Jesus. Nothing.
Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with thanksgiving. (Colossians 4:2)
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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