Obliterating The Obstacles That Keep You From Praying

I'm a school bus driver in the heart of Texas. My job requirement is to "simply" transport students safely to school and home again. I enjoy being a bus driver immensely and I'm very thankful to God for providing it. It gives me quality time with my wife, whom I love spending every moment with. It also gives me time to write, especially during the summer, and I'm not stuck behind a desk all day.

As a driver, I have been trained in defensive driving tactics that help you to be proactive on the roads instead of reactive to any given situation. I have to look ahead, to always be mindful of the various obstacles trying to stop me from getting the students to their destinations. It can be a big job trying to make sure you drive safely on the roads and pay attention to, not only the traffic, but to the kids on the bus as well. There is no room for error, and just like driving a school bus, prayer has its own sort of obstacles trying to deter us away from conversing with the Almighty. When we take the time to bring these obstacles to light, to reveal them for what they truly are, we can then take the necessary precautions against them.

One of the safety tips taught to bus drivers is the acronym IPDE which stands for;

• Identify
• Predict
• Decide
• Execute

Using this same acronym, we can also root out those nasty obstacles that are keeping us from having a devoted prayer life.

1. Identify - First we must identify the problem. Whether it's sin in our lives, distractions that make us lose focus, or we're just not quite sure how to pray... Look at what is hindering you from praying. Examine yourself to see the root cause of the problem. It might even be a need for salvation.(2 Corinthians 13:5)
2. Predict - Once you have identified the culprit you can then predict how best to avoid the problem. You will be able to know ahead of time and prepare. For example, if you know that distractions are a problem, seek an isolated place, a "prayer closet"(Matthew 6:6), so there is nothing that can come between you and the Father.
3. Decide - Now that the problem has been identified and the plan of action has been put together, you must make a conscious decision to pray. To want to pray is easy, it takes no effort at all. But to actually set your mind to pray is altogether different.(Colossians 4:2)
4. Execute - Now it's time to put everything into action and pray. The best thing you can do as a Christian is to read God's Word and to pray! Make it a daily habit. I like Ray Comfort's morning motto. "Don't feed until you read and don't play before you pray." These are words to live by!

 

Repent and believe before it's too late

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