Prayer: when you think back to the Garden of Eden, you remember Adam and Eve walked with God in the cool of the day. God made us to spend time with him, to enjoy him. Interacting with him sustains us. Sin broke that fellowship. When we don’t have friendship with God, we find our lives empty of meaning. However, Christ came to restore what our sinfulness ruined. When he died on the cross for our sins, God ripped the veil in the temple that separated the holy place from the Holy of Holies. That event signified we have access to God now. And Scripture commands us to pray.
I find prayer a privilege and a chore. Over the years, I have had days I could pray and pray and I felt God was leaning forward on his throne, listening. Those moments I treasure. However, at other times, I would pray and sense a brick wall or I feel like I am reading off my grocery list. I hate that. All this is reading my feelings into prayer, but I know God has responded. I have a sense of touching my creator’s heart.
I’ve never liked making phone calls, but the moment I decide to pray, I have sudden urges to make phone calls or do a long list of chores. Now. I find it especially hard to pray when I am asking for something good, something commendable, and I cannot see God moving.
I Thessalonians 5:17 says Pray without ceasing. God wants us to pray regularly and all the time. Jesus prayed for hours while he was on earth, and he even fasted and prayed before he started his earthly ministry. He wanted to commune with the father, and I want that too.
Today I have Bob Hostetler to share with us about prayer. He has written about it and can offer guidance from his experiences and study. Learn more about Bob here.
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