Priority of Prayer

Acts 6:2-4
"Then the twelve summoned the multitude of the disciples and said, “It is not desirable that we should leave the word of God and serve tables. Therefore, brethren, seek out from among you seven men of good reputation, full of the Holy Spirit and wisdom, whom we may appoint over this business; but we will give ourselves continually to prayer and to the ministry of the word.”

There certainly is no shortage of distraction - even good and noble ones - in the life of a pastor or spiritual leader. No one could possibly bear the load of a God-sized ministry alone. We must pick and chose wisely what we will focus on and what we will pass on.
For the apostles, their priority was first on prayer and on the ministry of the Word. From the text, I get the sense that prayer was a non-negotiable and the ministry of the Word was a wise choice. Prayer consistently pops up in the early church and the foundation stages as the strongest calling. Without prayer, the ministry of the Word lacks power. Without prayer, the ministry to the poor lacks discernment. Without prayer, miracles cease to occur.

So is prayer my priority? Is prayer something I schedule and plan for or do I squeeze it in between other responsibilities? Do the people in my care see it as my passion or simply a tool I use to open, close or transition my messages and meetings? Do I set aside tasks, even noble and necessary ones, to spend extended time in prayer seeking God's wisdom, favor and presence? Do I practice the prayer discipline of listening for God to speak back? Is prayer my first priority?

God - make prayer my priority. Not only remind me to pray, but make prayer my passion - give me a heart and dependence on prayer that drives me to your presence daily. Amen.