A Two-Way Conversation
Come and hear, all you who fear God, and I will tell what he has done for my soul. I cried to him with my mouth, and high praise was on my tongue. If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened. But truly God has listened; he has attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, because he has not rejected my prayer or removed his steadfast love from me!
Psalms 66:16–20 (ESV)
Throughout history, people have debated the effectiveness of prayer. Christ engaged in lengthy sessions of prayer and was clearly disappointed when His disciples could not stay awake through His time of prayer in the Garden (Matthew 26:40). Those who pray persistently, know, and persistently prove, the power of prayer. William Temple, who served as the Archbishop of Canterbury in the 1940s, told doubtful men, ‘When I pray, coincidences happen; when I don’t, they don’t.”
God chooses to engage you through prayer. He shows you how to pray and promises to hear your prayers. He is different from everything else you value. He shows that He is alive and loves you by answering your prayers of faith! This is a two-way conversation! It is a holy conversation, set apart from all other communication. James tells us, in chapter 4, that we don’t have because we don’t ask and that we must ask with right motives, not just for our pleasure.
Our Lord’s disciples’ request is undoubtedly our most needed prayer: “Lord, teach us to pray.” Prayer is simply your heart talking to God. Start, as Christ did, with praising Him for Who He is. Show Him the praise that is due Him! Then pray about what is on your heart. You will find that the more you focus on Who He is, the more time You spend praising Him, the more the desires of your heart will match the desires of His heart. Remember, above all, God is not willing that any should perish! Pray for the lost souls around you, and watch Him move! As you walk in righteousness, He will answer your prayers!
Prayer: Heavenly Father, teach me to pray more and more in line with Your will! I open my heart to You, I open myself to change. Lord, I am forever thankful for answered prayer, and I ask that You place an urgency in my spirit to pray to You daily. In Jesus’ Name, amen.