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• Too Tired to Pray
• When Dreams Turn into a Nightmare
• The Power of a Seed
• Too old to change?

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Sheila Schuller Coleman is the firstborn child of Robert H. Schuller, the Founding Pastor of the Crystal Cathedral. Sheila has had a diverse career as a published author (curricula, children’s books, devotionals, and books on family), a public school teacher, and most recently as a private Christian school administrator for over 13 years. She is currently serving as the Director of Family Ministries at the Crystal Cathedral overseeing the Crystal Cathedral Pre-school, Academy, Middle School and High School, as well as the Children’s Ministries and Student Ministries of the Crystal Cathedral. As such, her life has been intertwined with families of all ages in multiple capacities. As a Christian leader she has mentored teachers, principals, preschool directors, youth pastors, and children’s pastors.

Sheila has an Ed. D. in Educational Leadership and Administration from the University of California, Irvine. Sheila and her husband, Jim, have been happily married for almost 30 years. They have four grown sons who are involved in their own careers and academic pursuits.

March 10, 2009

Too Tired to Pray

Dear Sheila, I know that I should read my Bible every day and pray for my family and loved ones, but there are so many days when I oversleep or spend too much time online. Then, when I check my time I realize that I am already running late for work. I try to do my devotions after work but then I’m too tired. I feel so guilty! After all that Christ has done for me, and I can’t even wake up early enough or stay awake long enough to pray to Him! Any suggestions? Too tired to pray.

Dear Too Tired to Pray,

Well, first of all the good news is that God does not require us to pray! The spiritual disciplines as praying, reading the Bible, fasting, etc, are not intended nor required for us to do to earn God’s favor or grace.

There is nothing we can do to earn God’s gift of grace. All we can do is accept the gift! A gift is just that. You can’t take any credit for it. You didn’t pay for it, shop for it, or even wrap it. You can just accept it, open it and say thank you for it.

Then, practice the spiritual disciplines out of gratitude--not to earn grace, but because you are thankful for the gift. When you approach Christ with the attitude of gratitude versus the attitude of having to, you will find that you will be too wired not to pray!

Sheila

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