Praying with discipline…

From Eugene Peterson’s The Message, Matthew, Chapter 6
Pray with Simplicity
5"And when you come before God, don’t turn that into a theatrical production either. All these people making a regular show out of their prayers, hoping for stardom! Do you think God sits in a box seat?
6"Here’s what I want you to do: Find a quiet, secluded place so you won’t be tempted to role-play before God. Just be there as simply and honestly as you can manage. The focus will shift from you to God, and you will begin to sense his grace…"

I confess, I am not a very disciplined person. Don’t read me wrong. I go to my job every day, and usually arrive on time and ready to work. Mostly I pay my bills on time. On the other hand, I have no regular exercise program. I am a habitual yo-yo dieter. When I read Dallas Willard’s book, The Divine Conspiracy, I had serious doubts about whether or not I was a Christian.

My "prayer life" is usually dependent on the nature of my current life-crisis. I just don’t seem to have the time to find that "quiet, secluded place." It sounds like a good idea, I would like to try it, not out of legalism or as a ritual. I might feel closer to God.

Scripture taken from The Message. Copyright ? 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 2000, 2001, 2002. Used by permission of NavPress Publishing Group