Prayer is one of the most intimate, powerful, active, transforming gifts that each human being is created with capacity to dialogue with our Creator – to have access to God through conversation. You do not need to get a degree in PRAYER in order to begin praying. There is no pedigree required.
To pray is to interact with God with sharing all your desires, wishes, hopes, dreams, heartaches and to take time to LISTEN to God’s desires, hopes, imagination for CREATION.
Prayer is simply communicating with God, talking with God, thinking with God—all of which become easier the more we risk trusting that God is really for us and loves us, and that we truly are forgiven in Christ, hidden in Christ as Paul says in Galatians.
Communication is two-way. Therefore, much of prayer is learning to slow down and hear God – Listen to God. We can struggle with this listening because God may not “sound” like what we expect.
A few thoughts:
1. Take time to listen. So often our prayers are all about us talking—John Stott said, “God gave us one mouth and two ears—we should use them proportionally.”
2. 1. Be open to sensing God other than in some preconceived way.
a. It very well may sound like your voice—not Morgan Freeman’s
b. It may be a gut sense of what to do
c. It may not be an answer to the question you are asking but God assuring you of God’s Spirit with you.
d. It may be a verse or image from scripture that comes to mind
e. It maybe a question—that’s what Job got
f. It maybe reading a book or watching a show later and suddenly something clicks
g. There maybe times where it is powerfully clear and accompanied by intense feeling of heat or joy
3. God will not be dictated to or boxed in—God communicates his love and wisdom in ways God chooses.
4. No matter how you perceive God’s communication it always is going to require some faith. God calls us to walk by faith—not certainty—so there is always going to be room for doubt. But Jesus says, he is the Good Shepherd and his sheep know his voice. Over time we do begin to trust a little easier/ a little quicker that what we sensed was of God.
5. Scripture invites us to trust God’s communication with us. The more scripture is a part of us, the more God’s character and ways will resonate within us. Like a guitar strings vibrates when the right note is struck on another instrument so our spirit resonates with Jesus’ Spirit.
6. We tell ourselves we are not hearing God because we are often tuned to one channel. God is more expressive than we often allow ourselves to accept.
Prayer is not intended to be intimidating. It is for amateurs—for all of us. When you start to pray, what are you thinking God’s stance is toward you? “Oh, no, not you again!...You are so boring! I am busy. I am only listening because I have to. I am not going to answer so go through the motions and get it over.”
Or is it, I am so glad you are here! Tell me what is on your heart—yes, I know it but I it will deepen our relationship to talk and you will learn My Voice. I love you! Always have always will. You are an unrepeatable miracle of my making!