It is well known that everything with pros also has cons. No matter how good something appears, upon closer examination, its negative aspects become apparent.
Today, we are here to discuss prayer. This incredible advantage we have. This direct line to heaven. This spiritual activity considered as the most potent on earth, capable of achieving anything God can.
Does it also have disadvantages? Hmm… Yes, it should! Or perhaps you disagree? Maybe you’re thinking, “No, prayer can’t have drawbacks.” If that’s your thought, you might still be correct.
But isn’t it true that for a Christian to be prayerless, they must be benefiting in some way, no matter how trivial, from the act of not praying?
So, in this post, we are going to explore the positive aspects of not praying and the repercussions of it.
(READ ALSO: Understanding 7 Root Causes of Prayerlessness: Why We Struggle to Pray)
The Positive Aspects of Not Praying
Saves You Stress and Energy (Exodus 17:11-12)
Life can become quite hectic, and at times, praying might feel like an additional burden. In Exodus 17:11-12, Moses grew weary while holding his hands up during battle (symbolic of prayer). When others supported him, it made a difference. However, this story illustrates that praying, especially fervently, can be exhausting.
Opting not to pray all the time can actually save you from “unnecessary” stress. Instead of dedicating time to prayer, you can utilize your energy to play, rest, or engage in activities you enjoy.
Let’s be honest, isn’t prayer stressful? Isn’t it energy-consuming? Wasn’t Jesus experiencing this when blood oozed from his skin instead of sweat? Fervent prayer is not a casual muttering of words; it requires effort.
Some individuals tend to become serious in life, work harder, and take all necessary precautions when they don’t pray, while the opposite also happens, with some prayerful Christians being observed as unserious in life, lazy, and unambitious. Have you not observed the same? Is prayer responsible for such laziness?
But before you draw your conclusion, please read this post to the end.
Saves You Time
Time is a precious resource, and choosing not to pray can free up valuable moments in your day.
Constant prayers can consume a significant amount of time. When life is already busy, utilizing that time for meaningful activities can be more beneficial. By skipping constant prayers, you have more time to focus on your goals, spend time with loved ones, or simply cherish life’s moments.
But, please, is there anything more useful than the precious hours of prayer? Learn from the prayer life of Jesus. Despite his busyness, he dedicated quality time to prayer.
Perhaps, as a minister or servant of God, not praying fervently and regularly offers you the opportunity to study more scriptures, read more good Christian books, receive many revelations (Rhema), or attend to the physical needs of your brethren. While commendable, it’s not sufficient to produce lasting fruits in your ministry.
Many people avoid prayer because they perceive it as a waste of time. However, let me clarify immediately: prayer is not a waste of time; it’s a wise investment of time.
Helps You Make Decisions Quickly
At first glance, not praying might seem to facilitate swift decision-making. Without the ‘delay’ of seeking divine guidance, one can quickly analyze visible facts and reach conclusions. This is exemplified in the biblical account of Joshua 9:1-27, where the Israelites hastily made a peace treaty with the Gibeonites without consulting God.
14 So the men [of Israel] took some of their own provisions [and offered them in friendship], and [foolishly] did not ask for the counsel of the Lord. (Joshua 9:14 AMP)
The immediate consequence of their hasty decision was a seemingly beneficial alliance. However, this decision, made solely on surface-level observations and without spiritual discernment, eventually led to a commitment contrary to God’s intended path for the Israelites.
This story illustrates that while bypassing prayer can expedite decision-making, it often overlooks the deeper wisdom prayer provides. The deceptive benefit of speed can result in agreements or choices that conflict with our values and long-term goals. The repercussions of such decisions, made without prayer, can bind us to paths that are not in our best interest.
While you may be tempted to enjoy the benefits of quick decision-making by neglecting to seek God in prayer, remember that Jesus didn’t act hastily; he spent all night praying before choosing his 12 disciples (Luke 6:12-16).
Allows You to Enjoy Your Sleep
As the day winds down and exhaustion sets in, the prospect of undisturbed rest may seem preferable to prayer. The allure of sleep may overshadow the importance of prayer. Sacrificing a portion of your sleep to pray may seem unnecessary when you can sacrifice prayer for a full night’s rest.
Undoubtedly, sleep is essential and refreshing. However, this perceived benefit is misleading. True rest isn’t merely the absence of activity; it’s the presence of peace. In the Garden of Gethsemane, as Jesus fervently prayed, his disciples, overwhelmed by sorrow, fell asleep.
Without prayer, we may find physical rest but internal unrest, grappling with unresolved issues that only prayer can soothe.
In conclusion, while not praying may promise a night of uninterrupted sleep, it can also lead to a lack of spiritual rest. While our bodies may rest, our spirits may remain in turmoil.
Helps You Follow Your Feelings
At times, you may lack the desire to pray. Opting not to pray allows you to act on your feelings. Isn’t that an advantage?
However, I must address this point with caution. This perceived advantage is deceptive. When you feel like not praying, that’s precisely when prayer is most crucial. That’s when you need to pray the most.
Again, when you don’t pray, there may be no need for high hopes from expectations of an answer which may be hindered or delayed like that of Daniel. Some may conclude, ‘God didn’t answer’ or ‘God kept silent.’ However, even the scripture says that hope deferred makes the heart sick. So, to avoid a sick heart, it may be better not to pray at all to avoid disappointment.
The Consequences of Benefiting from Not Praying
Though I chose a topic that appears to promote prayerlessness, let me emphasize this on a serious note: Anything that hinders you from praying, anything that keeps you from praying, is of the devil. No matter how beneficial it may seem to appear.
For this post, I will only list four consequences, all starting with the letter D, among many others.
(READ ALSO: 12 Signs of Prayerlessness Revealed: No. 10 is the Most Common)
Defeat
In Exodus 17, we observe that when Moses’ hands dropped, the Israelites began losing the battle. This mirrors what happens spiritually to a believer when their prayer life declines; they start losing spiritual battles. This reflects over time in the physical realm because the spiritual realm leads while the physical lags. If you neglect to pray today, something in your future becomes vulnerable and insecure. If you are not praying, you are not safe, and your future isn’t secure.
A missed morning prayer can give the devil a foothold in the afternoon. Neglecting prayer can jeopardize your future. The devil is always vigilant, so be vigilant too.
Through fervent and consistent prayer, we can achieve victory over anything.
Consider carefully: victory over the devil and his works, or a list of so-called benefits and excuses for not praying that may be regularly and fervently indulged in. Choose wisely.
Disobedience (Sinning)
After enjoying sleep that night at Gethsemane, Peter could not fulfill what he had proclaimed. He, who once declared in Luke 22:33, “… I am ready to go with thee, both into prison, and to death,” fled from a mere maid who recognized him as one of Jesus’ disciples.
This scenario mirrors the experiences of many Christians. After accepting Jesus as our Lord and personal savior, we promise to follow him to the end, akin to Peter’s declarations. But over time, we find ourselves returning to the sins from which we were saved.
Do you notice that the command in verse 41 of Matthew chapter 26 was directed at Peter? If Peter had prayed, he wouldn’t have succumbed to the temptation that came after.
I believe that a prayerless Christian is most likely a sinful Christian. Do you share this belief?
(READ ALSO: Why Do I Keep Sinning The Same Sin?)
Prayerlessness produces spiritually stunted Christians. Of a truth, prayerlessness or a weak prayerlife produces a Christian who consistently and annoyingly disobeys God. Ask him, you will learn that he falls into sin easily and repeatedly despite his wealth of knowledge on what the scripture says.
To “say” doesn’t necessarily require grace, but to “do,” grace is required.
If you wish to remain faithful to God, you must be a person of fervent and regular prayer.
Deception
Deception is one of the consequences of not praying. We see this evident in Joshua 17, concerning the story of Israel and the Gibeonites.
God knows all things; he sees the future, knows every heart, and knows what’s best. Sometimes, making certain decisions may seem urgent, but they are not as urgent as preventing oneself from praying, even a prayer akin to Nehemiah’s in Nehemiah 1 before responding to the king.
Because not everything that glitters is gold, and deception is a tool mastered by the devil, we must always allow God to guide us in decision-making.
What decisions are you about to make today? Have you discussed them with God? About that house you want to buy, the career path you want to take, the spouse you want to choose, etc.
It’s possible to exclude God and make a decision, only to face severe consequences later. Have you experienced such a situation?
Death
How can I mention other D’s without mentioning death? Not praying undoubtedly leads to spiritual death (separation from God) and even physical death. Many individuals have lost their lives because someone, somewhere, somehow failed to pray. Many souls have found themselves in hell (everlasting torment) because someone failed to pray.
I recall a story about Evangelist Reinhard Bonnke during his missionary work in South Africa. One day, his water canteen ran dry, and he became incredibly thirsty, nearly dehydrated which led to him drinking water from a well without boiling it, ignoring the wisdom of doing so.
In his own words, he wrote: “I began to hallucinate and drift in and out of consciousness. My appetite was gone, and Anni had to work to get fluids into my body. After three terrible days of delirium, I began to see a kind of vision. I saw something like a black blanket, a dark shroud floating down over me. It seemed that I would be smothered by it. Death was very near for me, I knew. Then, somehow I could see through the blanket. On the other side, I saw the face of Jesus, and a wonderful peace flooded my heart in the midst of my delirium. In the next moment, I heard the voice of dear Sister Eliese Köhler praying for me. I knew that voice from the many prayer meetings I had attended in Krempe. I heard her crying out to God to spare my life. In that moment, the fever broke, and I began a slow and steady recovery.”
What if Sister Eliese Köhler had neglected to pray? Who knows what would have happened?
Not praying can cost you your life, the lives of your loved ones, your colleagues in the workplace, or even your children. You need to stand in the gap.
Would you still like to enjoy further, the benefits of not praying?
The ball is in your court. You can go ahead to give in to discouragement, sleep, weakness, the excuse of “no time,” or whatever benefits that keep you from praying. But before you do, count the cost.
I tell you the truth, and I lie not, prayerlessness or weak prayer life is a huge advantage to the devil. It is never an advantage to you at all, no matter what.
Conclusion
Though these are not the only benefits and consequences of not praying, as the saying goes, “a word is enough for the wise.” I will stop here.
I will conclude this article by asking you, dear reader, some questions:
What benefits do you think Daniel would have gained if he had skipped his prayers for the sake of the king’s decree for a day or perhaps the 30-day period to continue after?
What benefits do you experience when you skip prayer, perhaps because you don’t feel like it?
Have you ever suffered negative consequences because you failed to pray?
You can share your answers in the comments section.
Surely, the devil is scheming, but God desires to thwart his plans. That’s why this article has come your way. Don’t hesitate! Take action today! Ignite your prayer life!
May God grant you understanding in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
