We are encouraged by the Word of God to redeem the time.

Ephesians 5:16 (KJV)
¹⁶  Redeeming the time, because the days are evil.

The word “redeem” means, “to buy up” (Strong).  I like the way the ESV translates this verse.  It says, “making the best use of the time…”  Do you do that?  This is a challenge for all of God’s people, a challenge that perhaps we all fail sometimes.  Wasting time is easy to do and we would all probably admit to doing it once in a while.  Wasting time consistently, however, is dangerous and will most definitely harm our souls.  This week, then, let us look at some areas where we should redeem the time.

A good place to start is with prayer.  What kind of prayer life do you have?  It is the constant exhortation of the Spirit to pray, as well as the repeated teaching of Jesus.  

Luke 18:1 (ESV)
¹  And he told them a parable to the effect that they ought always to pray and not lose heart.

The power of prayer is clearly seen in God’s Word.   Prayer is a wonderful defense against temptation.  Jesus encouraged His apostles to use it for that.

Matthew 26:41 (ESV)
⁴¹  Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”

Prayer even has the power to change God’s mind.  In 2 Kings 20, we read of the time that Hezekiah became sick and God, through the prophet Isaiah, told him he was going to die.  Hezekiah was so distraught that he turned to the wall and prayed (2 Kings 20:2-3).  God responded.

2 Kings 20:5-6 (ESV)
⁵  “Turn back, and say to Hezekiah the leader of my people, Thus says the LORD, the God of David your father: I have heard your prayer; I have seen your tears. Behold, I will heal you. On the third day you shall go up to the house of the LORD, ⁶  and I will add fifteen years to your life. I will deliver you and this city out of the hand of the king of Assyria, and I will defend this city for my own sake and for my servant David’s sake.”

How many things do you know of that can change the mind of God like Hezekiah’s prayer did?  Surely, we can see the power of prayer.  But, the real power of praying is found in consistency.  Paul exhorted the saints at Thessalonica to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).  This is where redeeming the time comes into play.  Do you take the time to pray regularly?

Time is a factor in almost everything that we do.  Our schedules are full, and time is short. There are only 24 hours in a day, some of which are spent sleeping.  So, to have a consistent prayer life, we must do what Paul exhorted us to do and make the best use of our time.  This means making prayer a priority in our lives.  It means making a habit of praying, ideally at specific times, such as when we go to bed at night or get up in the morning, but whenever your preferred time of praying is, try hard to do it every day.  It will be time well spent.    

As you wind down for the night, think about these things.