GOD DESIRES THAT WE SPEND TIME TALKING 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 no motivation to pray. If we recognize that God desires that we pray, we will seek out the time in our day 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 prayers. Jesus shared His heart with the Father. He talked with God as one talks with a friend and confidant.
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.
“God testified concerning him: ‘I have found David son of Jesse a man after My own heart.'” – Acts 13:22
David offers us a perfect model of prayer with the Father. His psalms are rich in reverence and worship. David poured out his heart before God… sharing his innermost thoughts and emotions. He withheld nothing… for he knew that God was the One who would understand.
David’s psalms reflect the depth and intimacy of his relationship with his Heavenly Father. He recognized that prayer was simply talking with God… his Helper, his Protector, his Friend. He laid his requests before the Almighty One, knowing that He was a God of both justice and mercy.
Often David would move from prayer to praise within a psalm. His vital connection with God brought him peace and lifted his spirit. He praised God for who He is and the mighty work He would do in his life. Through time with the Father, David’s faith was 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 sees 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 at the foot of our Father’s throne, 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 Him in faith for all that He will do. How blessed we are to have a God who lovingly listens when we talk with Him. In His omniscient wisdom, He will work mightily on our behalf.
