Enjoying Freshly Ground and Brewed Time of Prayer

In this world where almost everything is automatic and quick, we sometimes miss out on the best, and just settle for "just right", or, in Tagalog - "pwede na".  Making coffee is one of those examples. 

Many people settle for instant coffee.  Not that it's not coffee.  But it's a quick fix.  When you don't have time to prepare and brew coffee, instant coffee is the way.  My eldest son and I enjoy freshly brewed coffee every morning.  We usually have ground coffee in a pack, and we just scoop up what we need straight to our dripper (our preferred way of preparing coffee). 

But there was a time when we would buy coffee beans, and freshly grind it.  It takes more time and effort. But you get the BEST aroma and taste of coffee when you do it.  There is nothing that beats it.  When you take the beans and begin to grind it you already begin to enjoy the aroma of the coffee.  And then when you eventually brew it into a cup, it tastes fresh.  The aroma and freshness makes the time and effort worth it.

Instant coffee is still coffee, that's true.  But why settle for a quick fix, when we can enjoy the process of enjoying the best coffee you can have?  Packed ground coffee ready to place in a coffee maker is still coffee, that's also true, and it tastes so much better than instant coffee.  But there is nothing better than enjoying freshly ground beans, pouring hot water over it, and enjoying it every morning.  It takes time and effort, but it's the best.

Luke 10:38-42 NIV As Jesus and his disciples were on their way, he came to a village where a woman named Martha opened her home to him. (39) She had a sister called Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet listening to what he said. (40) But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" (41) Martha, Martha, the Lord answered, "you are worried and upset about many things, (42) but only one thing is needed. Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

Both Mary and Martha enjoyed the presence of Jesus in their home.  Martha, probably being the eldest, was the one who opened her home to Jesus.  But as you continue in the story who is it that enjoyed the BEST of the time with the Lord?  It was Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to what He said.  The description of what Mary did shows us how she was not after a quick "hi, hello and goodbye" with Jesus.  She wanted to enjoy the time with Him.  Her sitting down describes how she wasn't going to do anything else except take time, make time, to listen to what the Lord was saying.

Martha enjoyed the fact that Jesus was in their home.  But Mary took the time to sit down, listen, and had the BEST experience with the Lord.  Jesus eventually said - "Mary has chosen what is better, and it will not be taken away from her."

What a beautiful description of what our prayer life should be like, right?  In this world where everything is moving so fast, when we have so much to do, how easy it is to have "instant prayers", rather than enjoying a "freshly brewed" prayer time.  What a blessing to take time to sit down, take our Bible, read until the Holy Spirit ministers to us.  It really provides the best time we can have with the Lord.

Many Christians today settle for "instant prayer", which does still have it's benefit, but we miss out on having the BEST experience with the Lord when we take the time to go through the long process of enjoying our sweet time with the Lord.

Shouldn't we be after the BEST time we can have with the Lord always?  Doesn't He deserve being given the best time?  Why settle for a quick experience of "instant prayer", when you can enjoy the slow and beautiful process of enjoying the presence of God as the Holy Spirit works in our hearts?  Why settle for instant, when you can enjoy the best, and have a "freshly ground and brewed" time of prayer?