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“Pray without ceasing,”1 Thessalonians 5:17

So, Christian, how is your prayer life? Do you know what prayer even is?  The most basic definition of prayer is “talking to God.” Prayer is not meditation or passive reflection. It is a direct address to God. It is the  communication of the human soul with the Lord who created the soul. Prayer is the primary way for the believer in Jesus Christ to communicate his emotions   and desires with God and to fellowship with God.

The longest prayer in the Bible is Psalm 119. All but three of the 176 verses are a prayer to God. One of the shortest is when Moses prays, “My God, please, heal her!” (Num. 12:13). Also, Peter’s short prayer, “Lord, save me”

(Matthew 14:30). The length of the prayer is not what is essential. What is important is the attitude in which you go to the Lord in prayer.

Several weeks ago, I spoke with my son Jesse on the phone, who lives in Nebraska.  He was shoveling snow, so I could not hear anything but the scrapping of the shovel on his driveway. I asked him to stop, but instead, he said he would put his phone on mute, and he asked me to continue to talk. I did so for about three minutes. I told him what was going on and how the Lord had been blessing his mom and dad. However, after what I felt was a long time, I told him that this was awkward that he was not talking, so I hung up. He called me back and told me that he so much enjoyed me just pouring out my life to him during that conversation.  Then he said the most  profound statement, “Dad, when you were talking to me, I could not help but think that just as I enjoyed you speaking to me without any direct feedback, how much more does God want His children to speak to Him?”

God wants to hear from you if you are His. He wants us to talk with Him without ceasing. He wants you to bring your praise, pleas, concerns and hurts to Him. The writer of Hebrews tells us we can go bodily to the throne of God ( Hebrews 4:14-16). What stops you from praying to the One who saved you. You can be confident that he will answer your prayers:

If we pray for God to glorify himself (Matt. 6:9; John 17:5)

If we pray for forgiveness (Matt. 6:12; 1 John 1:9; James 5:13–20)

If we pray to know God better (John 17:3, 24–26, Eph. 1:15–22)

If we pray for wisdom (to know how to live for God) (James 1:5–6)

If we pray for strength to obey/ live for God) (Eph. 3:14–21; Matt. 6:11, 13)

If we pray for the spread of the gospel (Luke 10:2; Acts 4:27–29; Col. 4:3)

Other prayers that we pray, such as for healings, God may not answer the way we desire, but He does hear your pleas, and His will, will be done.

Your shepherd,

Pastor Mark