“Never stop praying.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 NLT
Believe. Hear. Obey. These are steps to prayer that are seen all throughout Scripture. If we want to hear from God, we must first believe in Him, be willing and ready to hear His voice, and obey the commands He has given us. Many of us envision prayer just like this: we take a moment to talk with God with the expectation that He will give us an assignment. Sometimes we like it, and sometimes we don’t. Though it is true that God will give us a call or a command at times, prayer is not limited to this.
The invitation to prayer brings us into the closest, most intimate proximity to God and affords us the highest delight that we can ever experience as men of God. Prayer is an invitation to the everlasting relationship we can have with our Father. It is in this relationship we can communicate with Him at every level. He does not merely want to give us instruction – He wants to connect with all His children at a personal level.
Prayer is the apex of the disciple, reflecting the holy activities of the citizens of heaven. Just as those who are in His spiritual kingdom commune with Him daily, we can partake in the same way through consistent prayer. Where God has been absent in our lives, it can be restored through constant prayer as we are opening ourselves up to His presence once again.
The only way we do this is to do it without ceasing. A friendship is seldom kept through minimal exchange of words. A marriage cannot thrive in separate homes. As such, our relationship with God is dependent on our willingness to reach out to Him. Our benefit is great when we do this; the blessings we receive from Him are abundant! Where there is a seat at His table for us, our cup is overflowed by His love for us.
Embrace the exchange of Heaven’s words and the meditations of your heart. His thoughts for your thoughts. Speak. Listen. Watch. Receive. Repeat.
Prayer
Lord, help me, every day, to desire to seek Your presence in my life. I am not always perfect about spending time with You, but Your grace and patience outweigh those moments. You willingly placed Yourself in my life so You could be in relationship with me. Help me to get to that place. Make prayer as important as breathing to me. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Extra Reading
“Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus.”
Philippians 4:6-7
