Confession time! Sometimes I get bored with prayer.
I know, I know. Prayer is entering the throne room of God. It's communing with the Creator who knows me intimately.
But still ... am I the only one who sometimes feels guilty because prayer feels like a chore?
I know I'm not. But that doesn't make it easier to confess!
Biting off a little too much to chew
Years ago, when I was a brand-new mother with extra nursing time on my hands, I decided to pray for every single country in the world. I got myself a copy of Operation World, an encyclopedia that walks intercessors through every nation with specific prayer points for each.
This is a 500+ page book, and I figured if I prayed every single day I might get through the entire globe in 12-15 months.
A couple weeks in, I was bored out of my mind. Were any of my prayers making a difference anyway? Since God already knew what he wanted to do in each and every situation, why did I think my prayers could change anything?
The question that changed EVERYTHING ...
By the time I reached the Cs in Operation World I knew I had to change something up or else I would go crazy. I asked God if I should keep interceding for the countries of the world or if I was free to quit my little prayer experiment.
God, I prayed, if you really want me to keep praying for the nations of the world, I need you to help give me more inspiration, because this entire ordeal feels like a complete waste of time.
I opened my prayer book, honestly not expecting a whole lot other than more boredom. That's when the most life-changing question occurred to me.
What if someone gets saved each and every time I pray?
I won't go so far as to say God spoke these words to my soul, but he definitely used them to give new fuel and inspiration to my prayer life.
What if I knew that each and every time I prayed for a different nation of the world that God would lead one more soul to salvation?
What if my prayers really could make that much of a difference?
Suddenly, praying for the nations of the world stopped being a chore and became an exciting calling to join God in making history.
And now, whenever I wonder if my prayers really do make any difference, I remind myself that we truly do make history on our knees.
