Both my sons play baseball, and each team has signals for bunting, stealing, taking a pitch, hitting away, etc. Normally, the third base coach gives the signals to each player before he steps to the plate. Also, after each pitch, our batters are supposed to step out of the batter’s box, look down the third base line, and check with the coach for the signals. Needless to say, they missed many of the signals because they weren’t paying attention at the beginning of the game when the signals were given or they simply did not bother to look down the line to get the signals from the third base coach. As a result, we were far from having a wining record. 

Each day, I believe, the Holy Spirit gives me signals to: steal away to a quiet place, pray, stop, pause, breathe, go, talk, be silent, take a risk, listen, move, repent, confess, laugh, love harder, dig deeper, live and lead more courageously, share the gospel, put down my blackberry, turn off the computer, buy my wife a gift or simply hold her, play catch or sit with my children, call someone I haven’t seen in a while, and so many more.

I wonder how many times I have miss the signals in my day because I wasn’t paying attention or because I wasn’t looking down the line to check with the Third Base Coach before I started my day. Sometimes I see the signal to bunt (humility), but because I don’t see myself as a “small ball” kind of player, but a power hitter (Ego, Pride), who wants to be the hero and win the game (selfishness), I ignore the signals and carry out my own agenda at the plate. In the end, I lose out on advancing the Kingdom and bringing glory to our heavenly Father.

Each day, before I start my busy day, I need to look down the line and check the signals from the Third Base Coach, through prayer and meditating on Jesus’ words. This way, I can better understand what he wants me to do, thereby doing my part in advancing his kingdom in the world. What signals is the Third Base Coach giving you? How closely do you pay attention and follow them? 

“Since we live in the Spirit, we should also walk in the Spirit.” Gal. 5:25

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In addressing the students of Oxford University, John Wesley said, “How few of you spend, from one week to another, a single hour in private prayer.” As I read this, this statement sent waves of conviction through the corridors of my own soul. It reminded me of how I have failed, in many ways, to make private prayer more of a priority in my life. Why do I fail more often than I succeed at having a vibrant personal prayer life?  I believe, during those times when I become intoxicated with the elixir of complacency and self-sufficiency, I tend to pray less.

This was true of Peter, James and John. On one of the most painful nights of Jesus’ life, Jesus takes his closest followers to a place called Gethsemane. There, he longs for and invites them to watch and pray with him. They handle this privilege and responsibility with faithfulness, right? Not! On three separate occasions, instead of finding them watching and praying with him, Jesus finds them sleeping. Just couldn’t their eyes open. Jesus was disappointed that they had become victims of the condition I call “Gethsemane Sleep” – when his followers become complacent in their prayer privilege and responsibility (Matthew 26:33, 35-41).

Not only had they become complacent, but they also had sipped, imbibed, and become drunk off the wine of self-sufficiency. Peter said, “I will never deny you. And all the other disciples vowed the same.” (Matthew 26:35) As we used to say on the block, “Never is a long time.”  You should never say never because  we are too frail and too prone to failure to say what we will never do. Sounds too much like pride, overconfidence, self sufficiency or cockiness to me. I recognize it because I have been there, done that, got the T-shirt, and am making the video version of it. And, the next time we see them, they are sleeping instead of praying. I believe prayerlessness had infiltrated their lives long before they were found to be prayer-less in Gethsemane; it was just revealed when Jesus found them sleeping. 

Isaiah said that prayerlessness is a sure sign that we have grown tired of God: “But my dear people, you refuse to ask for my help. You have grown tired of me! (Isaiah 43:22) When we are more concerned about our social networks than our Spiritual Network, then we have grown tired of God. When we depend more on our own strength to get things done rather than his power to accomplish the impossible, then we have grown tired of God. When we manipulate and maneuver circumstances and people to get our way rather than trusting him to change hearts and navigate circumstances, then we have grown tired of God. When we trust our own resources more than the Source of our resources, then we have become victims of prayerlessness and thus have grown tired of God. 

Let’s demonstrate to our heavenly Father that we have not grown tired of him by spending quality time with him in prayer and depending on his wisdom and his power for our lives. 

How much time do you spend in prayer from one week to another? What do you need to do to make prayer more of a priority in your life?      

Tired of God? Wake up your prayer life.  

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Our Teacher, Leader, Forgiver, and Lord said in Matthew 6:20, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Anything that becomes my everything, is considered my treasure. Here are some “where is my treasure, where is my heart” questions: 

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