Most Generous Lord, prayer is my means of offering You adoration, confession, supplication and thanksgiving. In prayer, I share my joys, concerns, struggles, needs and victories with You. Paul spoke Your feelings when he said, “pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances, for this is the will of God.” My state of mind and thankfulness should not fluctuate based on my circumstances or feelings. Your instructions seem to encourage me to be joyful, pray continuously and give You thanks even when it goes against my natural inclinations. It’s impractical to spend my day on my knees but I should strive to maintain a prayerful attitude at all times. My prayers depend on acknowledging my dependence on You, realizing You are with me at all times. If I can maintain this attitude, it will become natural for me to pray throughout my day. The outcome of this type of behavior will be a definite building of our relationship.
In its simplest form, prayers are my conversations with You on a multitude of topics. As a vital part of my life, I should never withhold anything from You. I must maintain an awareness of You throughout my day … no matter what I am doing. You remain attentive to whatever I want to share with You and give meaningful advice as warranted. Confessing my faults to You refreshes my soul and helps me start over again. My supplications show You my feelings regarding myself and others. It calls for humility and a desire to fill my life and the lives of others with more of You. You have pointed out that prayers in the morning and in a prayer closet are meaningful times for Me to have dialogue with You. But I must remember that any time is the right time to hold a discussion with You. As the most important person in my life, I must also be quiet, after expressing my thoughts, so I can hear Your response.
As I move forward with You, I am recognizing what a tremendous gift that You’ve given to me through prayer. Where else can I have a one on one with the creator of the universe. In my times with You, I can share my feelings, doubts, victories and anything that is on my mind. Not only can I gain insights from Your wisdom when we talk, but You also speak to me through Your Word. In order to receive answers to my prayers, I must remain open to what You have to share with me. I have the option of speaking to You throughout my day as things occur or come to mind. Or, I can find a few minutes in a quiet time and place in my day to spend with You. Through prayer You lift my spirit and allow me to experience the grandeur of being in Your presence. Because I now see prayer as a gift from You, I want to open it with the same joy and expectation I open a Christmas or Birthday gift. And it’s in Jesus’ name I pray. AMEN!!
James 5:16 The prayers of a righteous man are powerful and effective.