I was once a member of a group that emphasized the need to “pray through” at the altar to receive answers to prayer. While I understand this concept and I know there is a basis in reality and experience, I also know that we can underestimate the power of shorter prayers. “Whoever calls on the name of the Lord shall be saved,” means that a one-word prayer can translate a person’s eternal destiny!
I recently spoke with a friend who had a religious experience later in life. Following this, he believed that God told him that He had been saved as a child. My friend questioned this because he didn’t remember such an incident. A voice reminded him, “But you prayed, ‘Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…. ‘”
God is so jealous to connect with us. It is not that He hates the other people or things that compete for our attention as much as He simply wants to be with us. He also knows that any time we focus on Him will benefit us much more than the other things we squander ourselves upon.
I am privileged as a Signature Chaplain to pause many times during a day to connect with a coworker or resident in a brief prayer. Often that encounter is less than a minute long, but more often than not it brings a genuine smile and a heartfelt, ‘thank you”!
God appreciates so much when we carve out special times for spiritual activity, but don’t underestimate the value He places on those “flash prayers” in the grocery line, in heavy traffic, or when entering or exiting your home or workplace.
–Chaplain Bill Seymour