Is There Grass on Your Path?

“In one region of Africa, the first converts to Christianity were very diligent about praying. In fact, the believers each had their own special place outside the village where they went to pray in solitude. The villagers reached these “prayer rooms” by using their own private footpaths through the brush. When grass began to grow over one of these trails, it was evident that the person to whom it belonged was not praying very much. Because these new Christians were concerned for each other’s spiritual welfare, a unique custom sprang up. Whenever anyone noticed an overgrown “Prayer path,” he or she would go to the person and lovingly warn, “Friend, there’s grass on your path!”

- (RWD Our Daily Bread, November 18, 1996).

I love this story about ‘prayer paths’. I wonder, is there grass on your path? Is your prayer life in such a state that your path has become overgrown with weeds. Weeds of busyness. Weeds of laziness. Weeds of discontent. Weeds of indifference. 

Our lives can become so busy that we neglect to spend much needed time in prayer. Focused prayer. Not just short little ‘help me’ prayers, but ‘get on your knees and beg God to work' prayers. 

We need to make it a priority to find that special place. That ‘prayer room’ where we can get alone and get serious with God. What a blessing it is to know that we have an audience with the Creator of the universe, the King of Kings, the Lord of Lords! Praise God! 

Psalm 34:15 The eyes of the LORD are upon the righteous, and his ears are open unto their cry.

Psalm 34:17 The righteous cry, and the LORD heareth, and

delivereth them out of all their troubles.

Psalm 55:17 Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud:

 and he shall hear my voice.

God is always near and He always listens. He is there, waiting in our ‘prayer rooms’, calling us to come and meet with Him and learn from Him. And yet, we push Him aside by being too busy to stop and pray. Our path becomes overgrown, little by little, until one day, we find that we can no longer see the path and  we’ve almost forgotten how to pray. What a sorry state of affairs to see our prayer path obscured.

One of my favourite old songs asks the question, “how long has it been?”

How long has it been since you took that path to your place of solitude and spent time alone with God? 

Is there grass on your path? 

How Long Has It Been? 

How long has it been since you talked with the Lord
And told him your heart's hidden secrets
How long since you prayed how long since you stayed
On your knees till the light shone through
How long has it been since your mind felt at ease
How long since your heart knew no burden
Can you call him your friend how long has it been since you knew that he cared for you

How long has it been since you knelt by your bed and prayed to the Lord up in heaven
How long since you knew that he'd answer you
And would keep you the long night through
How long has it been since you woke with the dawn and felt that the days’ worth the living
Can you call him your friend how long has it been since you knew that he cared for you