Colossians 4:2 — “Devote yourselves to prayer, keeping alert in it with an attitude of thanksgiving ...”

 

Throughout the years people have developed different maladies. Take writer’s cramp for example. Centuries ago this wasn’t as much of a problem as our forerunners preserved history orally and most didn’t know how to write.

 

Since then we have suffered from other discomforts like tennis elbow, trigger finger, and carpal tunnel syndrome, whichresulted from new activities. Recently I heard of a new problem: text neck is neck pain stemming from looking down at modern devices for too long.

 

As I considered this new type of struggle, a thought occurred to me – I wonder how many of us have ever developed prayer neck. We seem to have no problem cramping ourselves into a fixed position for hours to communicate with our friends and family, but how many have spent that much time bowing our head in prayer?

 

The Bible continually reminds us to devote ourselves to prayer. This discipline is the way we communicate with God.

 

It is also the way to receive alerts to what is going on around us. As we speak to God in prayer and read His words in the Bible, He reveals Himself to us and shows us how we should live. He encourages and makes us aware of the errors of our ways.

 

He is ready to respond at any moment of the day or night and is available for all we need. So why don’t we do this more? Of course, there are other postures for praying than folding our hands and bowing our heads.

 

Jesus, when He prayed, lifted His eyes towards heaven. The prophet Daniel knelt on his knees at an open window facing Jerusalem three times

a day.

 

Moses lifted up his hands toward heaven in prayer. Others fell face down on the ground, and still others called out a few brief words for help in the midst of a trial.

 

But these heroes of the faith all regularly did what they needed to do – they kept in contact with their God through prayer. What about us?

 

If you are like me, I can guarantee you  might be a candidate for text neck with your device ready at all times to message or respond to your people at a moment’s notice.

 

But have you ever been at risk for developing prayer neck? Let us each work hard to be more diligent to exercise our spirits – as well as our bodies – in prayer as we seek to know God more fully and serve Him more completely.

 

Sandra Sheridan is a Midwest wife and mother of five. She shares her messages to her children with Farm World. Visit her at www.VersesFromMama.com