By Karanja Peter

Simon, Simon! Listen! Satan has received permission to test all of you, to separate the good from the bad, as a farmer separates the wheat from the chaff. But i have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith will not fail. And when you turn back to me, you must strengthen your brothers. - Luke 22:31-3,1 Good News Bible

Of late, I have had to purposefully shun away from gadgets, especially during morning hours when I wake up. Shaking this practice has not been a walk in the park, so I then decided to turn off my Wi-Fi to avoid unnecessary and seemingly endless notifications on my phone. As I’ve sought to further limit distractions during this time, I’ve stopped visiting my various social media pages and have begun to turn off my stereo. I have been doing all of these things just to give myself more time for my morning meditations, prayers, and Bible Study – time that seems to be vanishing spiritual practice due to the social media lifestyle that seems to override my daily routines.

I’ve learned several lessons while limiting my media during the morning. First, I’ve learned to be more disciplined when selecting my priorities as a Christian who wants to grow. Furthermore, I’ve been adhering to the affirmation that Christ is praying for me.

Prayer should be one of the biggest priorities for a believer as it enables us to stay connected to God who is our source of life. Luke 22 describes how important it was for the disciples to set aside their sleeping habit and pray, given that Satan had permission to challenge their faith. We see Simon Peter, who thought he would stand firm as Jesus was sent to prison and eventually his death, openly denied Jesus three times. Despite Peter’s failings, Jesus, who knew him well, prayed for him. How sweet it is to know that someone praying for you is actually the omniscient (all-knowing) Savior Jesus? He is praying for all of us and he is familiar with all our daily life challenges.

No matter what you are going through, count it all for joy knowing that Jesus is interceding for you. Once you emerge victorious, do not forget not to pray and reach out with a helping hand to those on the margins.

Discussion Question: What are stumbling blocks exist in your life that keep you from consistent prayer and meditation?