Ephesians 6:18a - "And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests."
Matthew 18:3 - "Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of Heaven."
Prayer. It's a struggle at times. I get intimidated by people who can speak such eloquent prayers that it sounds like poetry. Sometimes when I pray, I catch myself trying to find the right words, spoken with the right mindset, with my heart in the right place, standing (or was I supposed to be kneeling?) in the right position, pointed in exactly the right position, and thinking that if I can just get it right, surely God will grant my request. That's the point where I feel pretty stupid about my prayer life. No matter how passionate my request, I've just tried to turn God into my own personal genie to grant my wishes.
I'm fairly convinced that aside from adoration, confession, and thanksgiving, all I should be praying for is that He would change my heart to be the man He needs me to be, period. In Ephesians, though, Paul encourages us to pray about anything and everything. In Matthew, we're reminded to come like little children. If you've been around little kids, you know they will ask for anything and everything. Frequently. Over and over again. No matter how many times you say "no". If it's on their heart, it's in their request to you. You see a commercial for Disney World and the kids immediately ask if the family can go. There's no thought of whether or not it's reasonable or how much it will cost.
This is how we approach our Father. He's our Dad. He wants us to tell Him what's on our hearts. Anything, no matter what it is. He wants to hear that you're lonely and want a romantic partner. He wants to know that your spouse is driving you mad. He wants to know that you'd really like to have a boat... that boat right there. Think about the role of a parent. Do you chastise your child for desiring something? No, but you don't give them everything they want, either. You know the things that are beneficial to them and you have the opportunity to use requests as teachable moments about finances, responsibility, and just life in general. Your prayer opens communication with Dad and He has the chance to bless you, comfort you, and teach you. Even when the answer is no, He's still using it for your benefit.
If you could bug my house, you'd hear me talking to Dad all the time when I'm alone. I'm either singing or having a conversation out loud. Hearing myself first of all validates that what I am feeling is real, even if something "I'm not supposed to feel". From there, God can work on my heart. It also reminds me of scripture that I can then look up, read in context, and meditate on. Sometimes, just hearing the words out loud allows me to hear the ridiculousness in my request, the insincerity in my voice, or inspire tears from the passion of whatever it is I am bringing to my Father.
I used to think that I didn't need to pray because He knows everything anyway. That may be true, but He doesn't need you to pray to be who He is. He's not going to somehow no longer exist just because you don't pray. Prayer is about you and your relationship with Him. Your heart gets changed and your relationship grows deeper when you open up to Dad. Prayer is a willful act though - either you willfully allow Him in to change you and love you or you willfully shut Him out in an effort to do life the way you see fit. Personally, I'll allow God, who is in His very essence love, access to my heart rather than allowing the destructive nature of sin to dictate my life again.
So try it. Right now. Tell Him whatever's on your heart. Even if you're mad at Him or think He's unfair, tell Him about it and be prepared to experience the love of your Dad.
No comments:
Post a Comment