The Greatest Enemy of Prayer

What do you think the greatest enemy of prayer in your life is? Be specific!

Is it your sin, your shame, your choices, your aspirations?
Is it your job, your family, your anger?

What if I told you it was none of those things?
What if I told you the greatest enemy to prayer in your life is what you fill your life with?

Busyness.
Hurry.
Muchness.

These are the things that will stop you from praying the most. Richard Foster states: “In contemporary society our Adversary majors in three things: noise, hurry, and crowds. If he can keep us engaged in ‘muchness’ and ‘manyness,’ he will rest satisfied.”

Do you feel that?

Thomas Merton explains that the greatest spiritual disease in our day is “efficiency.”

When muchness, hurry, and efficiency rule our lives, prayer makes no sense. Of course we are bad at praying because it does not seem like a skill that is worthwhile to invest in. The easiest way for Satan to get us to ignore God is not to challenge truth, but to keep us moving. Keep us busy.

You are too busy. You have said yes to too many things. You feel burdened to accomplish more than you can. You assume your worth is based on your schedule (and your lack of freedom in it).

Today, I encourage you to take seriously the words from Psalm 46:10: “Be still, and know that I am God.”

I challenge you today to find 3 separate moments to simply be still for at least 2 minutes. No phone, music, task, or distraction. Simply be still.