Praying With The King
Part 4
When you think of prayer, what is the first thought that comes to your mind? Is it that cute little prayer “God is great, God is good, Let us thank him for our food”? Is it another verse that you memorized when you were younger? There is nothing wrong with repeating a prayer when it is done from your heart to the Lord. I remember when I was young, my Grandmother had given me a beautiful cross stitch picture of the classic “Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep” prayer. I did not know Christ, and as a little girl, I was full of fear, especially in the evening hours. My father was a raging alcoholic, and I was terrified of what might happen if he “went off”. Every night though, I would see that picture on the wall and would read the prayer out loud and it comforted me because I really did believe that the angels would watch over me. And they did. Repeated, memorized prayers are not to be negated; however, as we have been spending the past few weeks discussing prayer, we see that Jesus gave us the words in Matthew 6:9-13, as an example. His words are “After this manner therefore pray ye”. He is telling us to pray in a similar way as set forth in the Bible. There really isn’t a right or wrong thing to say to God, as long as it is from your heart. Prayer is more about communication, or a conversation than just memorizing a verse to be repeated continuously. It is more important that we come to Him with a desire and with faith.
Our first priority should be to spend time with God. It should not be out of an obligation or a law. It should be from a heart full of desire to be with Him. This is what the Father wants. Prepare each day to set time aside to be in prayer and to have fellowship with Him. In our daily lives, we plan and prepare for all types of events. We plan meals for the day. We take time to plan parties and celebrations. We may even plan for a work or personal project. When we plan and prepare, it makes the outcome more fruitful and successful. In the same manner we should plan and prepare to spend time with God. When we do, we will find that our time with Him is even more rewarding. His desire is to be with you, to comfort you, to help you, to instruct you and empower you. His plans for you are tremendous. You just have to take the first step and communicate with Him.
Just as we plan and prepare for things, we also consult others for different things in our lives. We have health consultants, financial consultants, and even “life coaches” We use their wisdom and “expert advice” to help us in making decisions. However you have The King of KIngs as the ultimate consultant. You can take all your thoughts, problems, and goals to Him. He has the perfect plan for your life. “ For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” Isaiah 55:8-9 The next time you are faced with a choice or a decision, remember the word spoken by the prophet Isaiah and trust in your Father to guide you and lead you down the right path.
Trusting in His plan takes faith. When you pray, you must do so in faith. Even if you feel like your past mistakes are going to hinder your relationship with God, believe that He wants to answer you. The enemy will try to trick you into thinking you aren’t good enough. He is a liar and you can’t listen to those thoughts of doubt sent by him. You are a child of the King and as your Father, He wants to reward you. Have faith in Him and know that you are enough. “But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.” Hebrews 11:6
If you have children of your own, or even a close friend, think about how much you want them to share with you when something is troubling them. When they are having a hard time with things, you want them to let you know so that you can help. God is the same way with his children. Be bold and share with him all your thoughts. “Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” Hebrews 4:16. Why would you want to struggle on your own? You have access by the blood of the lamb, into the throne room of grace, into God’s very own presence. Here you can make your request known to Him, and HE WILL ANSWER.
I hope you have enjoyed this series on prayer and that it has increased your faith and desire to spend time with the King of Kings. May you continue to press in and go boldly before the throne room of God, knowing that He is a rewarder of those who diligently seek Him.
Until next time, remember
STAY CALM
AND BE EMPOWERED
