Take Time to Pray
E.A. Johnston emphasizes the vital importance of making prayer a priority in daily life, illustrating that time spent in prayer enlists heavenly help and accomplishes more than busyness alone.
In this devotional sermon, E.A. Johnston challenges believers to prioritize prayer amid their busy lives. Using vivid illustrations and biblical examples, he reveals how prayer enlists heavenly assistance and is essential for spiritual vitality. Johnston encourages listeners to stop neglecting their time with God and to embrace prayer as the foundation for effective living and ministry.
Full Transcript
How's your time with the Lord? Silence. Speechless. He said finally, not too good there.
You see what I mean? He's going to seminary to learn how to be a pastor and he doesn't even have time to pray. When he graduates, his schedule's not going to change. He'll be more busier then than he is now.
You all know that. If he doesn't make time now to be with the Lord, he's going to fall on his face if he doesn't make that a priority. He's like Martha, focused on too many things.
He's forgetting the main thing, Jesus. We must take time to pray. I am reminded about an oil painting that hangs in a Spanish gallery.
In that little scene is a farmer. He's just removed his straw hat. He's laid down his farm implements and he's assumed the position of prayer.
In the distance of that painting, if you look closely, there's a little village in the background with a church steeple and a bell tower. And evidently, the bell has rung, calling the little community to a time of prayer. Everyone's laid down their farm implements, set down their work, and they're praying.
And he's doing that. But if you look more closely at that painting, over to the right is a form of an angel. And that angel has picked up his plow and has gotten a team of mule going.
And it seems like that angel's getting ready to make a new furrow in the ground. And the caption of that oil painting is three words. Three words.
You know what they are? No time lost. Do you get it? When we pray, all of heaven is enlisted on our behalf. We get more done in prayer than we do out of prayer.
Sermon Outline
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I
- The challenge of finding time to pray
- The busyness of life can crowd out prayer
- Example of a seminary student struggling with prayer
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II
- The story of Martha as a warning
- Focusing on many things but forgetting Jesus
- The necessity of making prayer a priority
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III
- The illustration of the oil painting with the praying farmer
- The community responding to the call to prayer
- The angel working in heaven while the farmer prays
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IV
- The caption: 'No time lost'
- Prayer enlists heaven’s help
- More is accomplished through prayer than by busyness alone
Key Quotes
“If he doesn't make time now to be with the Lord, he's going to fall on his face if he doesn't make that a priority.” — E.A. Johnston
“No time lost.” — E.A. Johnston
“When we pray, all of heaven is enlisted on our behalf.” — E.A. Johnston
Application Points
- Set aside specific times daily to pray regardless of your busy schedule.
- Remember that prayer is not wasted time but enlists God's power in your life.
- Avoid becoming like Martha by focusing on Jesus first, not just your tasks.