A Sacrifice of Prayer

Christians who neglect prayer have distorted their priorities. Many believers pledge to pray whenever they can find the time. Yet, seeking Christ becomes less important to them each week than washing the car, cleaning the house, visiting friends, eating out, shopping, or watching sports events. They simply don’t make time to pray.

People were no different in the days of Noah and Lot. Their top priorities were eating and drinking, buying and selling, marrying, and caring for their families. They had no time to heed the messages of God’s impending judgment, so no one was prepared when judgment fell.

Nothing has changed over the centuries. For many Christians today, God remains at the bottom of their priority list, while income, security, pleasure, and family are at the top.

Beloved, the Lord does not want your leftovers, those little bits and pieces of time when you only have a moment to make a quick prayer request. That isn’t a sacrifice of prayer. The prophet Malachi wrote, “And when you offer the blind as a sacrifice, is it not evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, is it not evil? Offer it then to your governor! Would he be pleased with you? Would he accept you favorably?” (Malachi 1:8, NKJV).

Malachi was saying, “You’re bringing just any old farm animals to sacrifice in God’s presence, careless, thoughtless, secondhand gifts. Try giving those kinds of offerings to your governor, and see what happens!”

God expected his people to go through their flocks carefully, examining every animal and choosing the most perfect specimen for sacrifice to him. Likewise, God expects the same from us today. He wants our quality and unrushed time to be a priority.

I once met with the pastor of one of America’s largest churches. He was one of the busiest ministers I had ever seen. He told me without apology, “I have no time to pray.” What he really meant was he gave no priority to prayer. When I visited his church, I sensed no moving of God’s Spirit in the congregation. It was one of the most spiritually dead churches I had ever preached in. How could there be any life if the pastor didn’t pray?

Make prayer a priority in your life above all else, including family, career, and leisure time. Today, make a sacrifice of prayer!