Acknowledging God doesn’t have to take long

“Then David prayed…”

1 Samuel 23:10

It’s a busy world in which we live. Unfortunately, prayer is often a casualty of the chaos. We just cannot reconcile taking the time to sit ourselves down before God for a heart-to-heart when we have places to go and people to see.

But what if prayer doesn’t have to take long? What if it’s okay to shoot quick acknowledgments in God’s direction while in full stride?

Truth is, prayer is a lot like drinking coffee, in that there are different modes of enjoying it. You can sip it slowly from a mug while sitting in your favorite chair, unconcerned about the time, or you can run out the door with it in a to-go tumbler (if you can find the lid ; ).

Both methods have their place.

We can learn from David on this point. Sometimes David approached God with a lengthy prayer, as in Psalm 31, but at other times his prayer was short and to the point. In 1 Samuel 23, when David was in a crisis and needed to make a quick strategic decision, he didn’t have time for a prayer retreat. He needed direction from God asap, so his prayers were one-sentence micro-prayers.

David adapted his intercession to the situation and it got the job done. God heard David and faithfully replied to his request for help.

Like the proverb says,

Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.

Proverbs 3:5-6

The good thing is, there is flexibility in how to go about acknowledging God. It could take hours, or it could take seconds. The power is in the acknowledgment – not in the length of the prayer.

So whether it’s a macro prayer or a series of micro prayers today, what matters most is that you are acknowledging that God is, God cares, and God can.

Even micro prayers can have macro impact.

It’s a new day with God. Run with it.