In last months article we touched on communicating with our God, OUR Heavenly Father when we were talking about hard things and times in our life and about being trained or disciplined by our Dad because we are his kids and He loves us.
I reminded you then of I Thessalonians 5:17, where it speaks of praying without ceasing and we said that: "Pray without ceasing" isn't a suggestion, it's a command. There's good reason our Lord made it a command-Prayer isn't an inborn reaction to anything! It's something we must discipline ourselves to do."
We talked of the necessity of having that muscle in good condition to ensure that the line of communication is open. To be certain there will be no hesitation when we need to be in communication with Papa our God when we are in need.
Such little things can knock us off our feet and cause us to react wrongly if we aren't prepared.
Take yesterday for instance. I got up early in the morning to go to a medical appointment. My van is 10 years old and has over 160,000 miles on it but it works just fine. I got to the appointment in plenty of time but soon learned that I had to reschedule because this appointment was two weeks before it would be covered by my insurance. So I rescheduled. I went to my trusty van and guess what---you guessed it---it wouldn't run. With all of the traveling I had just done I was certain it was out of gas but the gauge read that it still had 1/4 tank of gas. I had to call for a tow truck and be towed to a garage.
While I was sitting in my very quiet van awaiting the tow truck, Papa whispered a verse to me. Not, to know me is to understand that I know pretty much of the scripture but can't tell you where you'll find what verse. I have to search and look it up. sooo, I looked up the verse (Heb.13:21) it said, "equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to who be glory for ever and ever. Amen"
Now the verse before says: "May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great shepherd of his sheep,"
Was I prepared for the other things coming my way yesterday? No I wasn't, but I did know that God was in charge and he had prepared me to deal with what ever was to come my way. Somehow he was going to work in me what was pleasing to him.
The van and I finally go to the garage and the guys there felt it needed a ne fuel pump and wouldn't even consider that it may be out of gas. I had to call a friend to come get me and then I had to rent a car.
Well, my financial budget wasn't prepared for a car rental nor a fuel pump.
I don't even remember calling on God while I was beginning to work through that situation. But, he called on me. Our lines of communication are never closed so they didn't have to be opened. Had I spend an hour with him in a quiet place before I left that morning? No, although it would have been a good idea. I awoke when the alarm went off, got cleaned up, dressed, left the dog out and ran out the door. Not even time for coffee or breakfast.
What do you consider prayer to be? There are many different opinions on this subject, and good theory to back them up. For a moment, remember what communication is. The Thesaurus says: Communication= interaction, interplay, conversation, discussion
Prayer= entreaty, invocation, request, plea, adjuration, supplication, appeal, petition, imploration
The Bible mentions prayer 379 times. Some of those prayers were offered by people, some are teaching us physical and spiritual posture and attitudes. Jesus even gave an example of prayer, Matthew 6:9. When I read this I see communication. so many of the words related to prayer hint at begging, hands wringing. Jesus was talking to someone that he KNEW. To him God wasn't someone in a far away place unseen and untouched. God was his dad and he knew that his dad loved him. Elsewhere he also said that if our earthly fathers could give good gifts to their children how much better could our Heavenly Father.
Jesus started out by saying, "our Father in Heaven, hallowed be your name,"
...In other words = holy, blessed, honored, revered and sacred is your name Father, Our Father. Not just someone else's Father but mine and yours. Jesus said so. Yet God is even more than that. Jesus starts us out by reminding us whom we are talking to: The Holy God, The Sacred Father, The Revered Heavenly Father, and our dad.
Do you KNOW Him? Do you KNOW that God is YOUR Heavenly Father? Do you KNOW that God loves you? Are you aware that God says you are his child? Do you KNOW Him in such a way that you can talk to him without feeling that you need to beg?
I have a friend who explained it this way, I knew, but the finally I had it in my knower. That's when you know that you know that you know!
Once in a time of prayer I came running into God's presence as a little child does into daddy's presence and jumped up into his arms. I was perched in the crook of his right arm and we were snuggling on each other and just loving each other and he said to me, "and with the other arm (moving his left arm out to his left side) I guide the universe.
God guides us to surrender our selfish, self-centered human will to God's all knowing and all prefect loving will. He has us keep a short account of the things we have said or done to offend OUR Heavenly Father and reminds us that the measure of forgiveness that we give out will be the measure that we will receive. He teaches us to ask for our needs for today and to ask him to guides us, our thoughts and our ways that we won't fall into temptation but be delivered from it.
Prayer isn't pleading your case before the court. It is - talking to your Heavenly Dad. When you talk to someone, communicate with someone, it is a monologue? Do you allow the other person to put a word in here or there, do you patiently allow them time to consider what you've said and respond? Do you give God that chance to respond or do you disconnect the line of communication and run off? Perhaps afraid that you won't like his response? I've heard that there are 3 answers to prayer: Yes, No and Not Yet.
Incidentally, I just received a phone call from the mechanic. The van is running just fine and they can't find a thing wrong with it. They put gas in it ran it all over the area and it's working just fine. They're gong to go ahead and inspect it while they have it.
While God does hear my requests, my concerns, my hearts desires, he also is willing to put up with my babbling. I chatter away to him about simply everything, and he doesn't seem to mind...
I'm still learning to be in constant communication with Him. He's patient and kind with me, with all of his Children. Unless you spend time with someone, how do you get to know him or her? If you are to pray more effectively, perhaps it would be good to get to know better the one to whom you pray.
I hope you've been given something to think about, perhaps even stretch you a bit. Search out the scriptures yourself. I'd be glad to hear what you find. There's so much more for us to learn about prayer, communicating with our Father. We'll take another look at this topic again another day.
Kathy D.
For
reference click the back button to see last month's article...Thank you!