One of the topics of the sermon yesterday was Jesus teaching His disciples how to pray (Luke 11:1-4). This got me thinking about prayer and how many of us aren’t nearly as good at it as we should be. We don’t pray enough. Sometimes we don’t even have the right idea of prayer.
Prayer is a very special thing. Yet sometimes we treat it more like a ritual than a conversation. Prayer isn’t just talking to God and hoping He responds in the way you’d like. Prayer is talking with God and listening to Him. Prayer is interceding on someone’s behalf. Prayer is asking for help and claiming God’s promises. Prayer is thanking and praising God for who He is and what He’s done. Prayer can even be you and God talking and “hanging out.”
Prayer is not sending a message by dove or shooting an e-mail to the Creator. Prayer is a direct conversation with God, who can even be called Father (Luke 11:2, Matthew 6:9).