I do not think worship, service, prayer and study should be “hard” in the sense it is a slog but it can often be demanding. Corporate worship, prayer and service within the Church are essential. I think a small weekly study group is vital too. It is a time to really bound with fellow Saints and explore your faith in a very safe environment. You make close friendships here which are different from any other. Also, I spend time in private prayer and study. I had not really counted the hours but it must be over ten each week even if it is not fifteen. I find the blessingS that come from this and the inner peace is created far outweighs the effort involved.
There may be times when my immediate instinct is to roll over and have and extra three quarters of an hour in bed or I do not feel like spending an evening with our small group after a long working day. However, once I start any reticence I had about starting goes immediately. If I do miss out on private prayer and study I feel the lack of it throughout the day. If it was simply hard, it would be a relief not to do it. By not doing it I miss the many blessings that flow from it. So for me it is not hard it is an essential part of my week which I could not do without.
As corporate worship is likely to be suspended because of the virus I think many of us will experience how much we miss our Church and those who attend it.
