Prayer is done at church, at funerals, at weddings. Prayer is done before Bible studies. Prayer is even said before meals (and by some even in restaurants).

How seriously do you take prayer? Is it merely ritual or perhaps more of a superstition?

How seriously do you take prayer? How big a part does prayer have in your life as a follower of Christ? Do you and your family make prayer and Bible reading together a part of your day? How seriously do you take prayer?

Jesus took prayer very seriously.

(NASB) Luke 6:12-16 “It was at this time that He went off to the mountain to pray, and He spent the whole night in prayer to God.

13 And when day came, He called His disciples to Him and chose twelve of them, whom He also named as apostles:

14 Simon, whom He also named Peter, and Andrew his brother; and James and John; and Philip and Bartholomew;

15 and Matthew and Thomas; James the son of Alphaeus, and Simon who was called the Zealot;

16 Judas the son of James, and Judas Iscariot, who became a traitor.”

What are some lessons to be learned from Jesus”™ example?

· Take God seriously by depending on His leading for decisions

· Choose to go alone where there will be no interruptions (cell phones off, no iPods, etc)

· Spend time in prayer, asking for God”™s direction for specific needs

· Know that what is chosen today will affect many in their tomorrows

· Know that choices are to be considered and that what is chosen needs to be what God wants (not what I want or think is good)

· God”™s plans and purposes are His goals through what He calls us to do

· The people God calls are important to Him

· What God calls people to do will affect the world in which they live

How seriously do you take prayer?