Too Busy Not to Pray

Anyone else noticed that things seem to be picking up? I have an endless to-do list and a whole lot of expectations placed on me.  I won’t bore you with the details, but things are pretty busy.  And yet, especially in these times, how important it is to take time in our schedules to pray.  Martin Luther once said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”  Having this much on our plate should drive us to our knees, not away from the throne room.  One of my friends has been studying Esther over the past year, and here’s what she learned from Esther’s story. I hope you will find it an inspiration as well.

So this week has been crazy in my family, like certifiably-should be in some kind of an asylum- kind of crazy. Our family trying to move is like no other experience with 7 kids, and many pets, from a house we have been in for 7 years… Sports can't slow down, school is taking it up a notch, and repairs are being done constantly… we are all about to lose our minds xD! But this made me think of what the Jews were feeling like when facing this certain death! I mean, what would you do if you knew you had just a few months to live?! Yet somehow, the Jews took the time to fast (and presumably pray) with Queen Esther. I find this absolutely remarkable because my situation is SO much less dire than the situation of the Jews and I can barely find time to spend with the Lord, however, the Jews could and did find this time and their situation was exponentially more complicated and panic ensuing than mine!!! I see this as a lesson to all of us that no matter what our situation is, we must find time to stop and spend time with the Lord (and I am the one who needs this lesson!!). A great poem once ended with "[…] and I paused before entering my day, I had so much to accomplish, I had to stop and pray."

May we too be drawn to the throne room of grace even in our busyness, for without Him, we can do nothing!