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| Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6 |
Even for devoted Christ-followers, prayer can be easy to take for granted for some, a mundane "chore" for others, or an untried mystery for still more. On the other hand, there are many faithful prayer warriors who count it a blessing to spend time every day devoted to prayer.
It's not so much about saying "the right words" or how many minutes we spend on our knees, nor even whether or not we are on our knees at all. While we do need to spend focused time in prayer, and praying on our knees is one way of showing reverence and surrender, God is more interested in what's on the inside of us when we talk to Him--our attitude, our willingness and desire to set aside our busyness for awhile to commune with Him (Mat. 6:5-13). He made us to have fellowship with Him! We can spend hours on our knees and never have a surrendered heart. God wants our hearts, ladies!
So what exactly are we doing when we pray, anyway?
We are acknowledging that God is who He says He is and will do what He says He will do. How do we know who God is and what His promises are? By reading and studying His very words in the only living book, the Bible. Yes, His Word is living and powerful (Hebrews 4:12)! We bring our concerns to God alone because He is ultimately the only One who can do anything about them. But let's be careful not to spend our entire time with Him asking for things. Why not begin by praising Him for who He is and for keeping His promises? The Psalms are full of beautiful words to honor our God. We can pray those words straight to His heart!
We are admitting our utter dependence on Him. Let's face it: Contrary to what some people will try to get us to believe, we know that we wouldn't even exist if it wasn't for God. We would have nothing without Him. Whether or not we approve of the circumstances He has allowed for our lives, the very air we breathe, every morsel of food we eat, every penny we spend or save is provided by His hand. He knows what you need, dear ones! He doesn't need to be told, yet He asks of us to lay our burdens at His feet. We need to remember with reverence the Creator of the Universe and His position far above anyone or anything else.
We are trusting Him to do what He knows to be best for us. Because of our faith in Jesus Christ, we can cry out to this same God we revere, calling Him "Abba Father" (Romans 8:15). This is like calling God, "Daddy." If you've been around children, you know that they ask for things expectantly, enthusiastically, no matter how many times they've heard the word "No" in the past. Like a wise, loving parent, God listens with patience and then gives the appropriate answer (Luke 11:11-12). Sometimes it's a "No." Other times it will be a "Yes" or a "Wait awhile." Always, it's the best answer for us, even when we don't see it that way, because God sees the whole picture and knows what we need better than we do.
We are blessing the lives of those for whom we pray. God listens! He hears! Sometimes we don't even know what to say on behalf of someone else but the Holy Spirit intercedes for us (Rom. 8:26, 27). Mighty things can happen when we lift each other up to the Almighty God. Despite the pessimism of doubters, miracles still happen! The Bible indicates that God is moved by our prayers. Not that He needs them, but He does desire them.
Prayer is such a wonderful, powerful privilege when you think about what it really is. The Creator of the entire universe, the One who spoke it into existence and holds it together, actually cares to fellowship with us! He is pleased to have us come to Him no matter where or when. Let's be sure to spend time with Him each day, my sisters, and let us not neglect to thank Him for His answers to our prayers!
Further Reading:
Matthew 6:25-34
Luke 11:5-18
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