Over this past year I have really learned that prayer is essential in our walk with God. Intimacy with Him is drastically linked to talking to Him and especially listening to and obeying His voice. The example of Jesus throughout the gospels is one of him stealing away to commune with his father. As Jesus was fully man as well as fully God he still needed to rely fully on God the Father. The power of his ministry hinged on his time united with the Father.I know that I need that time with God. I need that quiet hiding place, a retreat from the world and from my own concerns. Today while reading, Luke 11:1 stuck out to me. Jesus had invited along the disciples and showed them an example of prayer. What the disciples saw caused them to ask, “Lord, teach us to pray.”
Though I talk to God and most of the time quiet myself to listen to His voice, I still feel myself saying the same thing, “Lord, teach me to pray.” I know the example that Jesus gave in the scripture and I’m not asking for some new technique and method to prayer. I just want a refreshment of what God really desires when I pray. Most often my prayers are hurried. I like to talk about myself. I center the conversation around the things that I want or need. The things that I obsess about really comes out in prayer.
Tonight when Pridge and I came home, my dad had one of those channels with preachers on back to back. I was about to turn the channel, but Joyce Meyers was on talking about habits. Pridge and I have been talking about giving up our addiction for coffee and we thought that she was going to tread those sacred waters…she came close, but stopped just short, only commenting on chocolate. Whew! Off the hook!
Something inside of me stirred and asked is prayer just something you casually do everyday, or is it something that fuels your day, your every moment? I talk a lot about the importance of prayer, but when it comes down to it, is that head knowledge or do I really believe it in my heart and practice it with ferocity?
Some things need to change in my prayer life. I need to make a habit of starting my day with prayer. I need to fuel my dad with the mind of Christ. If I expect Christ to work in me and through me powerfully, I need to first rely on Him. I need to start by asking “Lord, teach me how to pray.” Lord, teach me how to commune with you! Teach me how to become one with you!
