Driving down the road, I often find myself praying—sometimes audibly, and sometimes silently, as I have free, uninterrupted time to speak to God. I have quite an extensive list of people I know with needs, and I have plenty of needs right in my own home. To be completely honest, I often find that about 95% of my prayer is focused on needs and wishes. I rattle them off in their usual order, adding in present day requests as they arise. It’s not a bad thing to “let our requests me made known to God”, but there is more to prayer than that.
I was challenged recently by a message I heard about prayer, and how I oftentimes find myself asking the same thing over and over again, and not getting much of an answer to some of my own prayer requests. It can be frustrating, when we desperately wish for something, only to feel unheard (we aren’t), or feel there is no clear answer from our Father. This message pointed out our attitude toward prayer, and how we often approach God in a way that is habitual and rote, standing in the way of our answers. We come bringing our needs, but aren’t even expectant when we lay them before Him—and I know this is true of myself, at times.
I recently had a real need that I had been taking before the Father, but again, it had been more of a habit in my asking. After hearing this broadcast on prayer, my heart was stricken for the callous and casual way I often approach Him for needs of my heart. As I got on my knees in the quiet of my home, I asked God to reveal to me just ten of the mighty things He had done, that we read of in scripture. As He revealed them to me, one by one, I spoke back to Him those miraculous displays of His awesome power. As I spoke each one of them, it became clearer and clearer to me that my prayer was just a drop in an ocean of His infinite power, and certainly easily handled by His hand. And you know what? Within the course of that very day, my prayer was answered!
The message of this post is certainly not from a point of authority, teaching the way to really pray. The real point I want to make here is for us to remember Who we are praying to—I needed that reminder. There are a few prayer sessions I’ve had with my Heavenly Father that will be forever engrained into my memory—that being one of them. Each of those times I distinctly remember Him speaking back to me in a very direct way. It is one of the reasons I do not have doubts regarding my salvation like I did when I was younger. If the Word of God did not reassure me (and It always can), those prayer sessions sure did.
As we make prayer a part of our Christian journey, may we remember Who God is as we approach Him. I need this reminder often, but my experience recently refreshed my soul and gave me the courage to ask, knowing His perfect ability to answer. When our prayers align with His will, we are on good ground for receiving an answer. Will it always happen immediately? No—I’ve been made to wait many times, as God bolstered my patience and my faith as I continued to bring the same need before Him. But we know we can approach Him boldly—just as scripture reminds us, knowing He not only hears us, but longs to answer us. On the days I pray habitually and my heart is lacking, may He speak to me again, giving me courage and reminding me of His awesome power. As Jeremiah 32:27 reminds us, “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for me?”
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might (Ephesians 6:10, ESV).
But Jesus looked at them and said, “With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible (Matthew 19:26, ESV).”
Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly that all that we ask of think, according to the power at work within us (Ephesians 3:20, ESV),
And what is the immeasurable greatness of his power toward us who believe, according to the working of his great might (Ephesians 1:19, ESV)
Dear Heavenly Father, help us to approach You in light of who You are. Help us to pray expectantly, and from our hearts. We know You long for us to bring our petitions before You, and so we pray that we will be more aware of how we approach You. Your power is limitless, and Your love is infinite. In Your precious name we pray, Amen!
