Many pastors have preached sermons condemning us for spending up to 3 hours a day in front of a television set while we pray less than 30 minutes a week. Although there is a need for such sermons, I have no intention of pointing out something for which you are probably already painfully aware. It is my desire to encourage you, to share with you what I have learned from my struggles in this area. We, as Christians, often condemn ourselves because we do not pray as much as we think we should. Of course, we can understand why it is easier to sit in front of the TV than devote time to prayer.
TV is relaxing and prayer is work.
I do believe energy is drained from us when we pray. I am convinced, though, the main reason we do not pray as much as we should is not because it is too much work. There are many sincere and dedicated lay-Christians who spend as many as 15 hours a week working on Christian projects, yet find it difficult to spend a significant amount of time in prayer. With all this time spent on Christian projects, their lack of prayer cannot be considered laziness. Satan understands the power of prayer and I believe he is fighting fiercely to reduce its impact.