On this journey inward, we have questions about prayer. We want to know “How long should I pray?” “Where should I pray?” and “When should I pray?” During one of my times of meditation, I came across the following words. I share them with you because I believe that they will help you in finding the answers to some of your questions.
The Bible does not prescribe the time or length of prayer, but it does offer guidelines. In Psalm 88, prayer is offered early in the morning (verse 13) and in Psalm 55, prayers are said morning, noon, and evening (verse 17). The author of Psalm 119 advocates prayer seven times a day (verse 164). Daniel knelt for devotions three times a day (Daniel 6:10). Jesus prayed before sunrise (Mark 1:35) and in the evening when the day’s work was over (Mark 6:46). Peter prayed at the third, sixth, and ninth hours.
Martin Luther King, Jr. suggested that prayer should be “the first business of the morning and the last at night.” He suggested that we “cultivate the habit of falling asleep with the Lord’s Prayer on your lips every evening when you go to bed and again when you get up. And, if the occasion, place and time permit, pray before you do anything else. Calvin suggested that we offer prayer “when we arise in the morning before we begin daily work, when we sit down to a meal, where by God’s blessing we have eaten, and when we are getting ready to retire.”
Bottom line? On this journey, you are not bound to ritual laws that regulate the preparation of prayer, nor are you bound to set times of prayer. However, there are times that are particularly appropriate for prayer, such as the gathering together for worship, the hours before work and sleep, the time right before meals—and anytime the spirit needs to be reminded of the goodness of God. As a Christian you should feel free to pray anywhere and anytime—in the midst of daily work as well as in the solitude of your room.
How long should you pray? However long you would like to be in the presence of God. When should you pray? Whenever you need the Lord. Where should you pray? Wherever you take Jesus. Adhere to the advice of Paul, who told us to “pray without ceasing.” The implication is that each one of us must develop a praying spirit such that we are always in prayer.