Meeting a friend for that promised coffee, or using the spare time for private prayer? Given the choice on any given day I’m all too aware which I would naturally plump for. Any opportunity to enjoy a cup of hot frothy coffee laced with companionable conversation is so deliciously appealing that the time set aside for prayer gets pushed further down the queue. And if I’m really honest, it’s usually relegated to the end of the day—at best!
A practical solution for people like me whose spirit is willing (but, oh, the weakness of the flesh!) is to meet God often, along with that all-important coffee. It matters not how or where we meet Him, what matters, as in any loving relationship, is that we meet regularly. A solo coffee break with Our Father lends itself admirably to conversational prayer, and it can take place in our own homes, in our own time, and even as a breather in the midst of chores.
I close my eyes, sit quietly, coffee cup in hand, and ask God to join me. Soon I’ll feel Him right there beside me. Of course, I know that He’s always there, but this is our special time together, and He knows how much that coffee motivates me! At times I hear Him speak straight to my heart; at others there is nothing but silence. I’ll tell Him about my day with all its messiness, without worrying about being inarticulate or too focussed on myself. I know I am infinitely dear to Him, and that He really doesn’t mind. I always have to flick away the distractions, but our loving Saviour does the rest.
We can do a lot worse than enjoy a coffee break with our Father. He’s aware of the frailty of our nature and our need for inducements, and He’s always waiting for us. With prayer, it’s the practice that counts more than the theory. As St Teresa of Avila once said, prayer consists not in thinking much, but in loving much”.
