Thursday, June 10, 2010

Is 20 Minutes Enough?

"A young man in Bible school offered to help David Wilkerson years ago when he was ministering on the streets of New York City. Wilkerson asked him how much time he spent in prayer. The young student estimated about 20 minutes a day. Wilkerson told him, "Go back, young man. Go back for a month and pray two hours a day, every day for 30 days. When you've done that, come back. Come back and I might consider turning you loose on the streets where there is murder, rape, violence and danger... If I sent you out now on 20 minutes a day, I'd be sending a soldier into battle without any weapons, and you would get killed." -Floyd McClung (read the rest of the article here)

This story woke me up. At the Delanco Women's Retreat I was sharing with Joanna Coppedge, that I don't believe we're in the fire right now... but that we are on the cusp of it... and God is preparing us to endure and walk through the fire with Him. But we are not praying enough. I told Josh the other day- "We will never get to Uganda if we don't pray together more. And I certainly don't want to get to Uganda if we aren't praying together more." It would be a scary proposition to be on the frontlines of spiritual warfare without being sufficiently armed.

But as a young mom, and as a human, I don't have two solid hours to spend in prayer. Which is where my dear friend, Michelle, comes in. I shared this quote with her last night, and she countered with an encouraging thought about Charles Spurgeon: Spurgeon was said never to have prayed more than five minutes at a time, but he never went more than five minutes without praying.

Certainly there must be time set aside to kneel in prayer- but there must also be an undercurrent of prayer supporting all my daily life.

Where are you in your prayer journey? Are you fully armed for the battle that is raging??

1 comment:

  1. Hey Kelly, this was nicely written, but as you and a young mom of 3 little ones with in 5 years my time is crazy! But as far as prayer is concerned I try Pray all through out the day! I lift some one up right then and there when i get an email of a prayer request or on facebook when some needs prayer or whenever there for I wont forget later. I spend a good time of prayer in my shower and even in the morning as im exercising and even at night as I am unwinding! Since I've had our children My prayer life has grown so much! The part I struggle with is digging in to God's word for my own personal quite time, I do devotions not as often as i would like but I do also listen or watch sermons online during "quite time"/nap time my favorite is watching Beth Moore! Sorry to get long winded but wanted to comment! Have a blessed day!

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