In our busy world, it can be hard to find time to pray. Would you believe me if I told you this was true even for ministers? Especially for ministers!
The truth is, we are easily distracted and anxious over all kinds of things. We love good things too much and we don’t love other good things well enough. St Augustine called this problem having “disordered loves.” The glutton, for example, loves food. Food isn’t bad. Food is good. The problem isn’t with the food, or even that he loves food. The problem is that he loves it more than he should. To the glutton, food has become his great priority.
Not making time to pray is a symptom of not having God as your priority in life. And, of course, part of the problem is that, the less we pray, the less of a priority God becomes! It’s a vicious cycle.
But that also makes praying more the solution. Prayer re-orients our lives towards God by reminding us how radically dependent we are on God. It also centers us on God by reminding us that all things are for him and to him, that all things find their purpose in relationship to him. He really is at the center of all things. Prayer just reminds us of that.
You might simply say, prayer re-orders our loves like they should be.
Pray with me. Father, you really are at the center of all things, your Son being our redemption and salvation, your Spirit giving us life, even as you rule with your righteous right hand. Lord, we know that we don’t love you as we ought, and we’re often distracted by the good things of this world (let alone the bad). Please forgive us. And please transform our hearts so that they would be centered on you above all else. In Christ’s name we pray, amen.