By: Steve Wilmot
Edgerton, Ohio
I’ve had some random thoughts about prayer lately. Here are a few of them. First — Prayer is like carrying on a conversation with your best friend.
Think about your prayer life. Are most of your prayers little more than telling God what you want and need? “God, I need you to do this. And when you’re done, I need you to do that.” Like God is Santa Claus or a vending machine.
Certainly God invites us to tell him what we need, but if prayer is just a “wish list” we’re missing the mark.
Prayer is like sitting down and talking with a friend. Nothing is off-limits. You talk about anything and everything that’s going on in your life and in the lives of those you love and care about.
When you’re with your best friend, you talk about all sorts of things. Your day. Your struggles. Your hopes and dreams. Your problems. Work. The weather. Sports. Where to find the best sale on clothing. Your marriage. Your kids. Your worries and fears.
When you get good news, you can’t wait to rush home to share it with your spouse. Or to be comforted when you hear bad news about one of your kids or grandkids. Prayer can be like that.
Tell God your dreams and your secrets. Tell him what you like about him. Thank him for everything he’s done for you. Talk over the best parts of your day. Bring him your hurts and the problems you don’t know how to solve. Share a funny story you heard; God loves to laugh.
Check out this verse: “The Lord would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks with his friend” (Exodus 33:11). That’s what God desires with you when you pray.
Second — When we pray, no special words are needed. No long, drawn-out speeches. It’s just talking to your best friend whenever and wherever you want.
“O, thou my dearest friend. You have been faithful to me for lo these past 20 years. Permit me to share some of my needs with Thee, O most wonderful of friends.”
That’s not how you talk with your best friend. You just pick up the phone or walk up to him and say, “Hey, let me tell you what happened to me today…” That’s what prayer is supposed to be like. Just you being you.
“This is your Father you are dealing with, and he knows better than you what you need. With a God like this loving you, you can pray very simply” (Matthew 6:8, MSG).
Third — God shows us things so we can pray about them. Sometimes we are told dirt about someone, or we see it ourselves.
Sometimes we assume we’ve been made privy to that information so we can tell someone else. We’re on the inside and we want others to know it. Our natural inclination is to criticize or point a finger, but God has another purpose in mind.
He wants us to stand in the gap and intercede for that person. Not put them down. Not spread gossip. Not criticize. Not feel better about ourselves because we don’t do that.
No. Pray for them. Pray that God intervenes and helps them. Years ago, I saw this on a plaque: “Believe the Best and Pray the Rest.” That’s solid prayer advice.
Fourth — Prayer is vital for a growing relationship with God. A good relationship with your spouse demands frequent, open and honest communication. Your relationship with God is the same way. If you are not talking with God, your relationship will not grow.
One way to check up on your spiritual vitality is to look at your prayer life (or lack thereof). Early African converts to Christianity were earnest and regular in private devotions.
Each believer found a separate spot in the thicket where he would pour out his heart to God. Over time the tall grass to these places became well-worn and paths were formed.
As a result, if one of these believers began to neglect prayer, everyone knew it. They would kindly remind the lax one, “Brother, the grass grows on your path.”
Reader, is the grass growing on your path?
———————–
Steve Wilmot is a former Edgerton, Ohio area pastor who now seeks “to still bear fruit in old age” through writing. He is the author of seven books designed to assist believers to make steady progress on their spiritual journey.
Related Stories
- Column: IS IT REALLY SO? – My Testimony As Seen By Others
- Column: IS IT REALLY SO? – Interview With An Atheist
- Column: A FRESH PERSPECTIVE – Sabbath: Meaning And Fulfillement
- Column: TWO MINUTE DRILL – Abandoned And Alone