“Lack of prayer is the cause of lack of time.” – Peter Kreeft
I had to read this one a few times to make sure I was understanding it properly. At first I was thinking, “yep, my lack of time leads to lack of prayer. I just don’t make enough time for prayer in my life.”
But upon proper reading, Kreeft is actually saying the exact opposite – which is far more profound.
It is actually my lack of prayer that causes my lack of time. Which seems contradictory because it seems like if I’m praying more then that would just take up more of my time. But the point is that if we are praying enough, then we are able to see that it is not time that we lack. God gives us the exact amount of time each day that we need in order to accomplish what He wants us to accomplish.
So when I think my problem is that I have a lack of time, that really just means I haven’t prayed enough. It means I’m probably not prioritizing my life properly. It means I’m probably stressing about getting things done on my schedule as opposed to God’s.
Truly we have all the time that we need. We just need to spend it more wisely. A life of prayer helps us to do just that. Such a life provides the peace that our hearts deeply long for…and without needing any extra time in the day.
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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }
Don’t you just love Peter Kreeft? Great reflection.
This seems like it makes sense. However we can’t do everything that we want to do even if we pray. Maybe what Peter Kreeft is saying is that we will be satisfied with what we accomplish each day if we are praying and striving to do God’s will each day.
Prioritization is the key, and I best do that with the inspiration of the Holy Spirit…and I can only hear Him when I pray. I agree with the statement. When I don’t pray I chase around tasks and busy myself with nonsense.
When I was in college and it came time to sign up for retreat, it always seemed the retreat fell in the busiest time of the semester. But I told myself that it’s because I don’t have time that I need to take the time for a retreat. I didn’t regret the time taken for God.
Great post, linking to it! Peace!
Great quote — thanks for sharing. Sometimes the simplest statements are the most profound. One of my favorite things about God is how often he contradicts “common knowledge.” Quite the rebel is He.
Gentle Reader,
I wouldn’t consider disagree with Professor Kreeft. And Matt and several comments point out that prayer does make one’s day more productive. However, let us consider that if one prays for one hour one has one hour less to do dishes or post on blogs or re-ordering one’s spices but it is time well spent. It honors prayer greatly to say that it does take up time and well worth it. Just a thought.
Brother Craig
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Brother Craig – agreed! Certainly prayer is time well spent and perhaps one of the most “productive” ways to spend our time. But of course this post is focusing more on how much prayer also contributes to us keeping a healthy handle on all of the other things that take up so much time in our lives. And that when we have a healthy prayer life we come to recognize that each day has precisely the right amount of time in it.
Peace!
I love this. If we begin our day by making a prayer of a Daily Morning Offering, then, no matter what we do or do not accomplish, it becomes a gift of prayer to Our Lord Jesus through His mother, and it is what Our Lord wants from us. He gives us this day, and we should give it back to Him, and when we do so through His Blessed Mother, she will “pretty” it up and perfect it before handing it to Him. “All things work together for good, to them that love Him.”.
Some people suffer with illness and cannot do much else (although they would like to) except suffer. Their suffering is not wasted when given to Our Lady to hand as a gift to Our Lord to unite to His suffering and love for us.
This is one of the greatest messages of our time….