His knees made a few crunching sounds as he knelt down to pray. There were also some audibles in that effort indicating discomfort from the long-ago years of snow skiing accidents made their presence known again. He folded his elderly hands, and again began his daily quiettime prayer as the shadows grew longer from the spent day. He thanked God for his full life and the now-deceased wife he had loved for decades. He credited the Lord for the trials, the challenges, the blessings, the answered prayer, and the unanswered prayer. He remembered how the Lord had intervened in his children’s lives and his grandchildren’s lives. And he chuckled at how he thanked God for finding his now-garaged antique car that was pretty much a duplicate of his very first car.

Questions: Why did he pray? Why do WE pray?

What actually IS prayer? Can it be described in practical and scientific terms?
A) Can it be measured?
B) Can it be weighed?
C) Can it be contained?
D) Can it be boxed and shipped?
E) Can it be saved in a vault for further use?
F) Can it be duplicated?
G) Is there a beginning to it or an end to it?
H) Is it something that wears out?
I) Is it valuable? Is it indispensable?
J) Can it be used for multiple things?
K) Does it decrease with age? Does it increase with age?

Although it would seem a bit callous and cavalier, bordering on heresy to try to but any “dimensional” or “contained” criteria to prayer, it can jolt us to the reality of how precious it really is. How can we associate a price or value of a prayer? Even if you could, would it be based on the intensity of the prayer? The length or brevity of it?

How would someone even estimate a value of a communication where a human being can establish a direct connection with Almighty God? Isn’t that something to be uniquely treasured?
Isn’t that something of irreplaceable value?

Follow-up questions: “Why don’t we do it more?” “Why do seemingly insignificant things crowd it out?”

James 5:16 – “Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.” Fervent doesn’t imply something a person does while a commercial is on.

1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 – “Rejoice evermore. Pray without ceasing. In every thing give thanks: for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you. This means pray AS YOU GO, not when you go. Talk with God at all times. Have a conversation. Sometimes they are deep.
Sometimes just a smile when all the lights are green……

Lord, the concept of the opportunity to be in Your presence and have fellowship with you is not only an incredible privilege, it defies mortal understanding. We find it natural to communicate with fellow humans, yet struggle to assign precious time to spending time with OUR Creator!

Please grant us the vision to cut through the clouds of gnats that distract us from prayer. Let’s GRIP those times with You, Lord! In Jesus’ Name, Amen.”