Prayer is all about realizing the real presence of Jesus there with us in the room and coming to realization that He is listening to every word, sees every tear and every smile...and simply yet profoundly...talk to Him.
C.S. Lewis says in his book The Screwtape Letters: once, "the man trusts himself to the completely real, external, invisible Presence there with him in the room and never knowable by him as he is known by it- why, then it is that in incalculable may occur."
When is the last time I have prayed with the realization that the presence of Jesus, the same Jesus who healed the sick, calmed the sea, and paid my price for sin is there WITH ME in the room? I fear a lot of the time I pray with a superficial " check it off my list of things to do today" mentality. Sometimes just repeating things that we have heard growing up in church that we are "supposed" to say when we pray.
We must realize that God KNOWS our hearts. 2 Corinthians 5:11 says, " ...What we are is plain to God..."
God says, " just be YOU! Don't try to act like you don't have any troubles in life. Tell me all your doubts, fears, pains, worries, joys, excitements...you can't hide them from Me because I already know them all.... but I want you to TALK TO ME about them.
In order for our prayer life to change, we have got to believe what He promises in His Word about being & meeting with us even when we can't see, hear, or feel Him.
Look 'em up!!
Proverbs 15:3
James 4:8
Jeremiah 33:3
Matthew 28:20
Psalm 3:4
Mark 1:35- He wants us to come before Him alone and early in the morning.
Psalm 5:3
Psalm 94:8-11
Isaiah 58:9
1 John 5:14-15
Luke 18:1-8- Be persistent in our asking!
Matthew 6:5-8- Jesus says He does not want our vain religious babblings that we sometimes call prayer....He wants us to tell Him our hearts. He wants secret time alone with us as His children...
Are we coming before the Throne of Grace worthy of His attention?
Ecclesiastes 5:2- He wants us to come before Him reverently. Do not come before him flippantly.
1 Thessalonians 5:16-17 He wants us to come before Him often! Never leaving the throne of grace. Hebrews 4:16 says, " let us draw near WITH CONFIDENCE to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need." We must come with a pure, bold, expectant heart.
A few other favorite verses on prayer:
Nehemiah 2:4-5- Nehemiah prayed FIRST, then SPOKE.
Exodus 33:11- The LORD spoke to Moses, " as a man speaks with his friend."
May we have the plea of the disciples simply asking, " Lord, teach us to pray..."
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