GOD DESIRES THAT WE TALK WITH HIM IN PRAYER
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“Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God.” – Corrie ten Boom –
Prayer is not a mystery. Prayer is merely talking with God. There is no magic formula for prayer. Prayer is as individual as the one who is praying. If we believe prayer to be only lofty petitions to a distant God, then we will have little motivation to pray. Yet if we realize that God desires that we pray, we will seek out time in our days to spend with Him.
Jesus understood the critical importance of connection and communication with His Father. Even amidst His busy times of ministry, He would seek out time for prayer. The gospels have recorded many of His heartfelt prayers. Jesus shared His heart with the Father. He talked with God as one talks with a friend and confidante.
Our prayer time establishes this same vital connection with our heavenly Father. Like Jesus, we need to find the time to pray amidst our busy schedules. Our Lord loves to hear from us. He awaits our prayers. He listens with compassion to all that we want to share with Him.
“I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart.” – Acts 13:22
King David offers us a perfect model of how to pray with the Father. His psalms are rich in reverence and worship. David pours out his heart before God… sharing his innermost thoughts and emotions. He withholds nothing. For he knows that God is the One who understands.
David’s psalms reflect the depth and intimacy of his relationship with his heavenly Father. He recognizes that prayer is simply talking with God… with the One who loves him immeasurably. He lays his requests before his Lord, the God of both justice and mercy.
Often, David moves from prayer to praise within a psalm. His close connection with God brings him peace and lifts his spirit. He praises God for who He is and the mighty works He will do in his life. Through time with the Father, David’s faith is restored and his hope renewed.
“We have to pray with our eyes on God, not on the difficulties.” – Oswald Chambers
Our days are to be filled with awareness of the Lord’s everpresence with us. All our burdens, our anxious thoughts, our fears can be poured out to Him. All our ideas, hopes, desires, and dreams can be placed at the foot of His throne for His divine guidance and revelation. Nothing is too small or too great to share with our God.
Our heavenly Father knows the secrets of our hearts. He perceives our every thought. He understands every detail of our lives. He knows what our prayers will be even before we ask. We need never be concerned about what we share with Him. God longs for us to talk with Him. His infinite love and acceptance of us gives us peace in His presence.
“Prayer puts God’s work in His hands and keeps it there.” – E.M. Bounds, 19th Century Minister
When we lay all our prayers before the Father, we can rest in knowing that He will take control. We step back and leave the answers up to Him. We let Him orchestrate our lives. Our burdens are lifted and our spirits freed.
Like David, we can praise our God in faith for all that He will do. For His omniscient wisdom gives Him unparalleled insight into what is best for us. We can trust that He will work mightily on our behalf. How blessed we are to have a God who lovingly listens when we talk with Him.
† Eternal Takeaway – We can share the secrets of our hearts with our loving Father †
