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“When I heard these things, I sat down and wept. For some days I mourned and fasted and prayed before the God of heaven” (Nehemiah 1:4).

Prioritising

Some leaders may object to the idea of consistent prayer because they’re “too busy,” but this just shows the same independence as the disciples in Mark 9:29 . However, we will make time for things that are important. When I was a schoolteacher, some kids would explain their lack of homework with “I forgot.” I would then ask why they hadn’t forgotten their clothes. The idea behind their explanation was that homework was that unimportant.

The idea that we are too busy to pray is insanity. What could you possibly be doing that is more important? Martin Luther saw it rightly. He once said, “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.” D.A. Carson also put it succinctly: “If you are too busy to pray, you are too busy. Cut something out.”

Put Your Bricks In First

In a business example, a businessman filled an empty bucket with bricks in front of some junior executives. He asked if the bucket was full. Some thought so, but most said “no.” The businessman then filled the gaps with pebbles and sand, asking after each new ingredient whether it was “full now?” Finally, he poured in water until the bucket overflowed. He asked the junior executives the meaning of the exercise. After a moment of dumb silence he explained, “If you want bricks in a bucket, put them in first.’’

In all things, we are to consider prayer to be the “bricks” that must go into the bucket first. All other things follow afterwards.

To be continued.

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