When we pray, we can often end up telling God everything that's on our minds and asking him to sort out the ones that are bothering us in one way or another. It's easy to come to him with a list of our requests. We know that we need to pray for our family and friends, other people that we know, our national leaders and church leaders, the sick, the state of the world in general, our workplace and colleagues, and the list goes on. By the time we've finished bringing to God everything that we know we should, it's time to go to work, or go to sleep or go to the shops, or go and do anything other than continue praying. Sometimes we ask something and need an answer, so we do spend time listening, but we're listening for something on our agenda.
God, though, wants a relationship with us. It wouldn't be much of a relationship if our spouses or parents or children just kept asking us for things. We want to spend time with them. We want to hear about what they've been up to and tell them about ourselves; we do, of course, also want to help them out with their needs when we can. Jesus taught us how to pray and halfway through the prayer that we've named after him he said, "Give us today our daily bread." How often do our prayer times consist solely of elaborating on that line? What about, "Hallowed be your name?" "Your Kingdom come?" "Your will be done on Earth as it is in Heaven?" Do we spend so much time concentrating on those aspects?
The first of those lines on its own is enough for one post. "May your name be kept holy. Yes, holy, holy holy are you, King of Heaven and ultimate ruler of the Earth. Majestic are you in your celestial glory. There is none like you. No one can compare with your greatness." Then maybe it's time just to be quiet and be with God. We don't have to talk to our friends and family all the time. They just want to know that we want to be with them and share the moment. We can look out to sea, sitting beside God on the golden sand, gazing across the bay at the islands in the distance, and just enjoy the view with him - then maybe turn to look him in the eye and say, "Did you really make all that?" and let him nod as he smiles back. We can share similar moments as we look at the stars or a tree, a chicken or a baby - the opportunities are endless.
Prayer is a relationship with God - talking to him about himself and about us, being in his presence and enjoying his creation with him.
Being with God is bonding in a way that asking him for things, or to do things is not. We do have to ask, so long as it's with the right motives (James' Letter, chapter 4, verses 1-3), but prayer is about so much more than that. The writers of the psalms knew about this; for example:
"I shall lift you high, O Yahweh. You have raised me up from the depths and haven't let my enemies bragg. O Yahweh, my God, I asked you for help and you healed me. O Yahweh, you brought me out of the grave and saved me from Hell." (Psalm 30, verses 1-3)
"Sing joyfully to Yahweh, all you righteous people, because we just have to praise him. Praise Yahweh on the harp and the lyre. Sing a new song to him and play your music skillfully. Shout for joy! For eveything Yahweh says is true and he is always faithful. Yahweh loves justice and the Earth is full of his praise forever." (Psalm 33:1-5)
"My soul pants for you, O God, just like deer pant for water My soul thirsts for the living God. When can I go and meet with God?" (Psalm 42:1,2)
"Praise waits for you in Zion, O God. We shall honour all our vows to you. You hear our prayers and everyone will come to you. When we were engulfed by our own sins, you blotted them out and set us free!" (Psalm 65:1-3)
And then:
"Be still and know that I am God." (Psalm 46:10)
We can use these verses, and many more like them, as we speak them in praise to God and then rest in his presence, but why not add your own words as well?
If you have any questions or prayer requests,
you can leave a comment below, contact us, or send an email.
Comments