Why Do Christians Sometimes Stop Praying?

Equipped for Life
Why Do Christians Sometimes Stop Praying?

I. Introduction

A. John 10:10 (NAS) “The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I came that they may have life, and have it abundantly.”

B. Luke 11:1 (NLT) Once Jesus was in a certain place praying. As he finished, one of his disciples came to him and said, “Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples.”

C. Almost all Christians, from time to time, will go through “ .”

1. There’s an and a to everyone’s prayer life!

II. Why Do Christians Sometimes Stop Praying (Or Stop Praying as Much)?

A. A big part of our motivation to pray when the “storms of life” become calm.

1. Our “prayer fade” affects the heart of !

2. “How do we from happening in our lives?”

3. How to prevent “prayer fade”:

a. Establish a regular prayer and a regular prayer for yourself.

i. Matthew 6:6 (NLT) “But when you pray, go away by yourself, shut the door behind you, and pray to your Father in private. Then your Father, who sees everything, will reward you.”

b. Don’t get into a “” of prayer that can become repetitive and meaningless.

i. Matthew 6:7 (NLT) “When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again.”

4. “The main thing (talking about prayer), is that you integrate into your daily life (just like you would eat or sleep or exercise) a time and a place and a genuine style of praying, so that when you’re done, and you go about your day, you can say, ‘I just met with God. I talked to Him. I listened to Him, and we connected on a soul level.’”

B. When we have or shame in our life.

1. Do some ! Do you remember when your prayer life began to fade?

2. Old-fashioned will create an ever-widening gap in your relationship with God!

3. Psalm 66:18 (NAS) If I regard wickedness in my heart, the Lord will not hear.

4. “There is no deep, ongoing fellowship with God without total to Him!”

5. I John 1:9 (NAS) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

6. “Get back to the !”

C. When you go through some sort of major in your life!

1. Psalm 115:3 (NAS) But our God is in the heavens; He does whatever he pleases.

2. Every committed follower of Jesus who has had a crushing that prayer didn’t “fix“ has felt like giving up on prayer!

3. Luke 18:1 (NLT) One day Jesus told his disciples a story to show that they should always pray and never give up.

4. You have no idea how much your conversations with mean to Him!

5. You have no idea how carefully God to every one of your concerns!

6. You to God!

7. Don’t !

III. Conclusion