The first thing I want you to do is pray. Pray every way you know how, for everyone you know.” 1 Timothy 2:1.
Prayer is at the heart of what a God centered life looks like. It is in its simplest form, having a conversation with God. Talking to Him, listening to Him, engaging with Him. Seeking His thoughts about things going on around us first prevents us from operating from our self oriented ones. I cannot over emphasize the importance and power of prayer. Paul talks about it over and over through his letters. It creates an unshakable foundation to build our lives upon. It articulates to God that we sincerely believe in Him and that we love Him. It opens the door of our minds to His presence and allows Him to have continual access to shaping us.
If we say we believe in Him yet we don’t have conversation with Him, what does that say about us? Can you imagine falling in love with someone, marrying this person, and then just not speaking to them? Ever? Not listening to them? Ever? Asking them to stay outside on the doorstep until you have ten minutes to invite them in? Worse yet, not even living together but simply calling on the phone when life is completely out of control. “Things are bad, please send money.”
Many of us treat our relationship with God this way. He is far off and distant and not engaged. We operate through life in a deistic reasoning but never engaging with the all powerful living Creator of the Universe. Others of us treat God as the repair guy we call when things around our house of faith are broken. Some see Him as an authoritarian figure looming heavy over us. He demands relentless perfection we cannot achieve. None of these are accurate depictions of God.
The more you read Scripture, the more God reveals his true self to us. The clearest picture we have of Him is in Jesus Christ. The Gospels show how Jesus lived, breathed, walked and ate with us! He talked, laughed, loved, cared and shared himself. He healed, carried and forgave us. He was God in human form. And now His Spirit is in each of us that receives him and believes in Him. If you have believed His message and have received him, His Spirit is alive in you!
What keeps you from talking to Him? Fears? Worries? He wants to hear those. He wants to alleviate them. And He can. Disappointments? He already knows about it. Tell him more. Listen to His thoughts and gain his perspective. Hurt and anger? He can handle it. He is so much bigger. Express it to Him. Bitterness? What is the point of holding on to that? He already carried our offenses on Himself when He was crucified. Those are dead and gone unless you continue to resuscitate them and feed them. Apathy? He is the author of Love itself. Ask him for more of His love. He loves loving us! Anxiety? Breath. Breath Him in deeply. Keep breathing. He will slow down the spinning and set the pieces of your life in order. Just allow Him.
As you walk in conversation with Him, listen closely. He wants to share His thoughts with you. Bring every concern, every person, every leader you can think of to Him. Bring every situation in your life to Him and trust Him to bring about good for you and others in these. Even when you can’t see it up front. Trust His heart that He loves you, He hears you and He has great plans for you. Yield to gratitude when you don’t understand. He will bring you peace. Walk every step with him every day. He will meet you wherever you are. Just pray.
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