Are you too busy to pray?

Most teenagers feel like life is crazy and moving too fast with lots of stuff to do! School, sports, homework, and friends—they feel like there is no time to pray. “We have so many things going on that it can feel like there aren’t enough hours in the day to do it all! All of these things are important; each of these things demands our attention, but with all of this stuff we have to do each day, when are we supposed to pray?” asked, Jidia Kalungi. You might be feeling the same way as Jidia, but however busy you are, you should always try to get time and pray. No matter where you are or which religion you belong to, prayer is important! Prayer is important. Prayer is like a rope that connects us to God. When we enjoy a regular prayer life, when we are spending time talking to God every day, then that rope is strong and we feel really close to God. However, when we don’t spend time talking to God or listening to Him to talk back, then our rope gets worn and weak and it gets harder to hear God’s voice. Many young people feel that prayer is memorizing certain terminology and sound. Others feel prayer is something that takes place in a certain place or with a certain posture. But none of those things are requirements for true prayer. In fact, you can sound and act holy and not be doing anything other than talking to yourself. Don’t wait for Saturdays, Sundays or Fridays to commune with your God, you can and need to pray every day! Find a place to pray where no one imagines that you are praying. Then talk to your God! One way to make sure your heart is in tune with God is to pray often, the more you talk to him the more he will talk to you! “My favorite time to spend with God is when I can actually set aside time to just sit in my favorite place and just talk to Him with no distractions. But that doesn’t mean it is the only time that you can pray,” says says Mugema Florence, a student at APADE. Say a prayer of thanks before you eat your lunch. Take 10 minutes out of your Facebook account to pray! “If you finish an assignment or test early in class, use the time you have left to pray or you can take 15 minutes to pray before starting your homework,” advices, 15-year-old Shane Kagina. Those are just a few ideas that you can use to get started on refreshing your prayer life. Remember, prayer is just talking to God and then listening while He talks back. You can also find someone to pray with regularly. Praying with a friend is great for personal accountability. It’s also a cool way to take a friendship to a deeper level. Be a person that avoids the wrong kind of Peer Pressure! Become wise by walking with the wise and remember praying is about you and your personal relationship with the Lord. martin.bishop18@yahoo.com