PRAYER: TALKING TO GOD

Prayer is talking to God. It is pouring out the heart, the emotions, the desires—all concerns and worries—to an all-powerful, loving God who cares about us and wants what is best for us. And it should always be done with an attitude of thankfulness for all he has done and continues to do for us (Ephesians 5:20).

He is always listening and always ready to hear and help. He knows what we need before we ask him, yet he still wants us to ask him. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask him. In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be your name” (Matthew‬ ‭6:8-9‬).

He upholds the entire universe by the word of his power (Hebrews 1:3), but he is still concerned about everything that concerns us. We should never think that anything is too small to matter to God. We matter to him, and therefore what matters to us matters to him.

Christians deprive themselves of many blessings by failing to pray. We worry and fret when God has everything under control (Matthew 6:25-34). It is impossible to worry and pray at the same time. “Do not worry about anything, but pray about everything” (Phil. 4:6).

God knows what is best for us. He fashioned us and made us and no one understands us better than he. He invites us to pray because he knows the demands of human life are more than we can bear on our own. He cares. We must never forget that.

It is impossible to grow as a Christian without prayer. If your faith is weak—if you don’t feel close to God—look at your prayer life. That is where the secret lies. We cannot be close to someone that we do not talk to. Pray without ceasing is God’s command (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Our lives are to be lived in constant, intimate prayer. Spend time talking to God and you will see your spiritual life growing beyond your greatest expectations.

Dewayne Dunaway