When Should We Pray? ...

We know that praying is ‘speaking with God”. There are common phrases like: “Can you pray for me? Or let me pray for you”.

There are also prayers that we make quickly, such as when we give thanks for our meals. This is not bad, but this does not help us in knowing the time to pray. There are certain instances that guide us as to the appropriate time to pray.

The children of Israel were worshipping other gods and the price paid was that they were dominated by the Philistines.

The prophet Samuel gives this advise in Samuel 7, let’s see verse 3: “And Samuel spake unto all the house of Israel, saying, If ye do return unto the Lord with all your hearts, then put away the strange gods and Ashtaroth from among you, and prepare your hearts unto the Lord, and serve him only: and he will deliver you out of the hand of the Philistines”. They obeyed and Samuel himself, to pray for them.

So when was the moment to pray? After they recognized their sin and obeyed. Remember that disobedience is sin. If they had not obeyed, then it would not have been the time to pray for them.

Leviticus 20:6 says: “And the soul that turneth after such as have familiar spirits, and after wizards, to go a whoring after them, I will even set my face against that soul, and will cut him off from among his people”. That’s why it’s normal to say “God does not hear my prayers”. We should ask ourselves: “Why does God not hear my prayers?”.

If we are not willing to admit our faults, repent, and ask for forgiveness, then it is not the time to pray.

I will continue with this topic in the month of June. God bless you

(Editor’s Note: This column is written by a different Littlefield pastor for the Leader-News each week. The columns are published on this page on Wednesdays.)