Bread Crumbs: Don’t let grass grow on your path

Published 9:15 am Saturday, July 26, 2025

The story is told of a tribe in Africa who were converted to Christianity by Christian missionaries. Encouraged by the missionaries to spend quiet time daily in prayer, the tribe members developed the habit of each finding an isolated tree or thicket outside the village where they would go every day to pray.

Over time, the paths to these private places of prayer became well-worn and patted down. As a result, if one of the believers became negligent in prayer, it would become obvious to the other tribe members.

“Brother, the grass grows on your path,” they would quietly remind each other.

I’ll be honest. The grass has been growing on my path.

It’s not that I never pray. I join in the prayers at church. My family prays at every meal. I even offer up short prayers periodically during the day for myself and others. But I’ve gotten out of the habit of taking time from my busy schedule to really talk to God.

Because that is what prayer is. Prayer is simply us talking to God. Prayer is a part of our wider conversation with God. In prayer, we speak to God. In turn, he speaks to us in his Word.

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Both parts of the conversation are important. Obviously, what God has to say to us in

his Word is infinitely more important than anything we would ever tell him. Taking time every day to hear God speak to us as we read our Bibles or daily devotions is as necessary for our human health as taking time every day to eat or sleep. Attending church and hearing God speak to us regularly in his Word and Sacraments is not optional for Christians.

Nor is prayer.

In prayer, God gives us the privilege of being able to pour out our hearts to him. In

prayer, we can tell God things that we can’t tell other people in our lives. Prayer gives us the opportunity to remember where our help comes from. Prayer focuses our hearts and minds on the giver of all good things, the God who forgives and helps, the God who is always listening.

Prayer has power, not because it is some magical incantation that will conjure our every

desire, but because the all-powerful God is listening and promises to give us everything that is for our good.

God never promises to give us everything we ask for. Not everything we ask for is good

for us. But he is always listening and will always give us what is best for us. Sadly, we often lose out because we don’t take the time to ask. We often lose focus in our lives and struggle because we don’t take time to talk to God regularly in prayer.

So, please permit me this quiet reminder. Don’t let the grass grow on your path.

Pastor Andrew Schroer has been a pastor for over 25 years and is currently serving at Redeemer Lutheran Church in Edna, Texas. You can find his latest books, “364 Days of Thanksgiving” and “364 Days of Devotion,” on Amazon.com.