No short-cuts to prayer

John Dalrymple, Simple Prayer, 47:
"The truth is that we only learn to pray all the time everywhere after we have resolutely set about praying some of the time somewhere."

That really cuts to the heart of things, doesn't it? I guess it's part of American culture to look for short-cuts everywhere. We want to multi-task, and figure that if we can pray while we are doing something else, we'll save time. And it's such an insidious deception, because it sounds virtuous, holy even, to say that we pray all the time.

It really annoys me when I'm trying to talk to someone who is doing something else at the same time, and who can't be bothered to pay attention. My old boss used to read and write emails while pretending to listen to me. In my opinion, he did neither activity well! And yet we turn around and do the same thing to God.

So far, my best 'place' to concentrate on prayer is actually when I'm walking. Ironically, it gives me a freedom from distractions that I don't have in my nice, quiet, private apartment. And then I worry about whether praying while walking 'counts' or whether I'm still fooling myself. I have to admit, I was encouraged when I heard that Jonathan Edwards and his wife Sarah both liked to walk alone in the woods or fields, and pray to God. That made it sound legitimate! Then I consider that maybe praying while walking 'counts' if that is the specific purpose of the walk, but doesn't count if I happen to be walking to get to work. Perhaps I'm really a Pharisees in disguise. Help! I need grace!

OK, I'm going to break this off so I can go take a walk!