Contrary to popular belief, God cannot answer
the prayers of an unrighteous person. Even if we are Born Again, if we harbor unconfessed
sin in our heart, God will not stay in our presence (Psalm 66:18; Proverbs
15:29).
Otherwise, there is no sin too horrific or
concern too trivial to bring to Him in prayer. We can talk to God about
anything and everything that is on our mind, and then sit in companionable
silence to listen as He speaks to us.
So many people are intimidated by the concept
of prayer. They hesitate to speak to God, because they think that He is too
busy with the rest of the world to be bothered by our petty concerns.
They would never, ever pray in public, because
they are afraid that people might judge their efforts and find them lacking.
Yet, prayer is as easy as talking to your best friend. Jesus is our very best
friend (Proverbs 18:24).
The only perfect, righteous man ever to live
on planet earth bore the shame of the sins of every person ever born. Yet, He
is our Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His sheep (John 10:11).
He willingly gave up His life for our eternal
security (John 10:16-18, 15:13). He loves us without measure. He gave us His
Word as our comfort and our guide.
Praying Bible verses gives us the life-giving
power of the Word behind our prayers. These verses were well written by people
who felt just like we do. They inspire us to pray using our own words too.
We can journal in a notebook as we pray, in
order to record the issues on our heart. Then, when God answers those prayers
we can record the date in our journal, which will increase our faith.
Taking time to listen to God's answers as we
pray allows Him to communicate with us in His still, small voice in the center
of our being - in our spirit.
The more we sit in those quiet moments, the
more we will hear from God, and the more we will come to recognize His voice (Psalm
46:10). He will lead us throughout our day in this same way.
Prayer:
Father God, prayer is the opportunity to speak
to You, the God of the Universe. There is no being higher than You and Your
ways are beyond human reasoning, because You already know the end from the
beginning.
Listening to Your truth through Your Word and
by You speaking to us in times of prayer is the greatest opportunity we can
ever experience on this earth. We find our true joy only in Your presence in
our life.
Draw us ever closer to Your heart and remind
us that You are waiting to hear our voice in praise to Your glory, in contrition
for our sins, and in wonder, both for who You are and for all that You do for
us each day.
Thought for the Day:
Although God may not give us the answer we
requested in our prayers, He will always give us something better; even if it
does not seem like it at the time.
