For the next several weeks I would like to write about reasons why we do not pray like we should.  My hope is not to induce guilt.  We all know we do not pray as much or as well as we should.  Rather, I hope to bring revelation to the deeper realities of why we do not pray like we wish.  By revealing the deeper reasons behind our prayerlessness, I hope to we can better address the root of the problem so that our prayer lives can flourish.

Our Vision Is Too Small

One of the reasons we do not pray, is because we are not trusting God for anything bigger than ourselves. If we are trusting God for something that is way beyond our  ability to accomplish in the flesh, then we MUST pray.  In this sense, prayer is a great measuring stick of our vision.  If we are not praying, our vision is likely a man-sized vision.

If our vision is to see whole campuses reached with the gospel, we MUST make time to pray for revival.  If we have made it our aim to intentionally build relationships with communities on campus where many are far from God, we MUST make time to pray for our friends.  If we are hoping to see our universities turned into mission-sending campuses so that graduates will go from our campuses to the most unreached people groups, we MUST make time to pray for the nations.

Everyone would give verbal ascent to having a vision for the few things mentioned above.  But verbal ascent or a written vision statement are just words. What I am arguing is that you can see if someone’s vision is merely words by observing how they and their community are praying.

If you or your Christian community find that you are not praying as you would like, then begin to reevaluate your vision.  Reconsider your vision statement and goals.  Seek God for a new vision and a few key scriptures that communicate your vision.  Make sure your vision is God-sized and begin to cast that vision.  When others catch it, like you, they MUST pray!