The Gift of Prayer
Most people pray when they come under lots of stress and reach the end of their own strength, but there is so much more to prayer than that. I’m talking about taking time with God. Like Adam and Eve, we are created to spend time with our heavenly Father in the cool of the day. For me, that is both in the morning and in the evening. He doesn’t want us to come to Him in prayer out of some kind of religious obligation and run through our list of verses and then a couple canned prayers. He wants you—your true self, with your strengths and struggles that come with everyday life—to meet with Him.
We have talked in the past about God’s love for us, and praying with an attitude of thankfulness. We need to allow prayer to be a time of getting to know our Father in a way that nothing else can provide. It’s having a two way conversation. When we spend time getting to know the Father, both in praising Him, and sharing our petitions with Him, we develop a relationship that prepares our hearts to hear His still, quiet voice. It is out of that relationship we find the resources to thrive in the trials of life. We will never mature with just a few requests shot out of our prayer cannons toward heaven.
Over 40 years ago as a teen, I knew God wanted a deeper intimacy between the two of us. Lately, He has been calling me to protect a secluded location where I can sit quietly before Him. It states in Matt 6:6 But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you. Recently, I was encouraged by a friend/co-laborer who encouraged us to go deeper into solitude and silence before the Lord. He stirred us to rid our self of all the noise and distractions of life and wait quietly, patiently before our Lord. What a gift this reminder is to me. No matter how deep I go in prayer I find there is always more. It is easy to get into a habit of rushing our quiet time and fitting it into our busy schedules. And I know better, but can still get caught in the trap, and I know I’m not alone.
Walking with the Lord in the cool of the day is refreshing, like a glass of cool water on a dry day. Our souls are designed by God to need that time with Him. He wants to teach us and guide us as we walk out the work He has laid before us. I believe He wants to show Himself strong as we call on Him and depend upon His strength. What a treasure to be able to walk with Him and sense His gracious presence and joy in our lives.
As we mature we should become more like Jesus. Our thought processes, our responses, and our actions should look more and more like our Lord as we go through life. It is an amazing thing that when I take the time to spend in prayer my trust and boldness in Him continues to grow. The words I read in His word make more sense and applications start presenting themselves.
There is a simple principle here. What we sow we also reap. If we sow into our relationship with the Lord, then we also reap more of His character. When I take time with Him, He often helps me to be even more efficient with the rest of the time I’ve been given. When I pour my heart into a relationship with Him, He gives me His heart for the people around me that He loves so dearly. We cannot out-give or out-perform Him. What a treasure we have been given in the simple gift of prayer. Are you willing to open your gift and discover the depth of what’s inside?