Prayer
Matthew 6:5-13, Romans 12:12, Philippians 4:4-9, Exodus 32:11-14
What comes to mind when you think about prayer? Maybe it’s driving around bearing your heart to the Lord. Maybe it’s a season where God provided something you had specifically asked for. Maybe it’s journaling while you DT in the morning. A lot of times what comes to mind for me is a feeling of defeat. I often feel like I haven’t prayed enough, or asked for the “right” thing. However, my problem isn’t that I am not praying correctly or enough, my problem is that I have forgotten the privilege of prayer.
Prayer isn’t a religious order to accomplish, but it’s a tender mercy purchased for us by Jesus. We were once enemies of God, we had absolutely no access to Him. What we deserved was wrath, and yet through Jesus’ death and resurrection we can now approach the throne of grace in confidence. We have a high priest who lives forever to intercede on our behalf. Being able to approach the Father is not only humbling, but a gracious gift we have been given. When we forget where we have come from, we associate prayer with obligation and defeat rather than worship and relationship.
Why do we pray?
Prayer not only exercises our faith, and humbles us, but it builds our relationship with the Lord. When we go before Him and lay out our burdens, worries, fears, joys and triumphs we are building intimacy with our heavenly father. In the same way we would run to a dear friend to share exciting news, the Lord desires for us to run to Him. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He delights in giving wisdom. He cares for us, He wants to give us the desires of our heart. We pray, not as a way to earn favor, but as a way to celebrate and rest in the finished work of Jesus.
How do we pray?
Prayer isn’t just about asking for things. This is a relationship, prayer requires both talking and listening. When we pray, we get to come to our Father, innocent and childlike. A little kid shares with their dad assuming that he is loved and wants to be near to him, that’s the posture we get to have when coming before the Lord. He delights in our vulnerability and desire to be near to Him. Christ has bought us a pure and free relationship with the Lord, approach Him with confidence and believe that He is eager to hear from you. You have His full attention.
What do we pray for?
It can feel intimidating talking to God when you aren’t sure what to say. In the Lord’s prayer we see six suggestions that can give us guidance when we aren’t sure what to say:
Thank Him and reflect on His character
Talk to Him about His kingdom, and how that can come on earth
Ask the Lord to provide for your needs, and the needs of those around you
Ask Him to forgive you, and to help you forgive others
Ask Him for guidance on something going on in your life
Ask Him to protect you from the enemy
We are free to confidently approach the throne of grace. Jesus has covered us, and we are made new. As you enter into prayer this week, would you be led to worship and rejoice in the intimacy we get to share with the Lord when we just talk to him.
If prayer has been hard for you, practice with just one sentence during your DTs. We are praying that your faithfulness to pray one sentence will develop a lifelong habit of prayer.
