Draw Near – 365 Guides to Greater Intimacy with GodSample

PRAYER PRACTICE Deep within the dark streams of Mammoth Cave, Kentucky, are live fish that have lost their sight. These fish have lived for centuries in the darkened waters of the cave, and their optic nerves have become atrophied. Atrophy, or the wasting away of muscles through disuse, is a fairly common condition among living things. Men also fall prey to a spiritual atrophy. Charles Darwin admitted he lost his love for poetry and music, once dear to him, because he failed to develop them. In the same way, we can lose our vital prayer power through disuse. We must simply stay "prayed up" at all times. This is one of the strong points of Solomon's temple dedication prayer (1 Kings 8:22-53). As he stood before the congregation, the king pleaded with God to always hear the people whenever and wherever they pray. Solomon's prayer was more for the people's benefit than God's. Solomon knew God would certainly hear His people. But Solomon wanted to remind Israel they should always pray in good times and bad. His message is well taken. To prevent spiritual atrophy, we must maintain a strong prayer life. This is why we set aside a daily time to commune with God. Prayer practice keeps our spiritual muscles toned up for any crisis.