This year, I have committed to going deeper with God. Understanding my “Why” is critical to being able to obtain this goal. Part of going deeper, is seeing as God sees. This is tough, so I prayed a prayer, “Lord, give me eyes to see.” Then, God answered and it became harder. How did it become harder? I then was able to see things as God does. Or at least my interpretation of it, anyway. I began to see the hurt in the world, the hunger, the poverty, etc. So, just how important is prayer in regards to our relationship with God?
As we remember the life of Martin Luther King Jr. this week, I learned something new about him. His father, Martin Luther King Sr. was so moved by the work of early reformist Martin Luther, that he changed not only his name from Michael, but that of his son as well. There is a quote on prayer that often gets attributed to MLK Jr., but actually Martin Luther is where it originated. He says, “to be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.”
Prayer is like breathing.
What King Jr. did say about prayer was this, ““Prayer is indigenous to the human spirit. It represents a throbbing desire of the human heart.”
Jesus talks a lot about prayer. In Matthew 6, he says,
“And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. 7 And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. 8 Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask him.
9 “This, then, is how you should pray:
“‘Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your name,
10 your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
12 And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
13 And lead us not into temptation,[a]
but deliver us from the evil one.[b]’
14 For if you forgive other people when they sin against you, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. 15 But if you do not forgive others their sins, your Father will not forgive your sins.”
Jesus gives us the model for prayer, not only in word but in action. We often see him slipping away to be alone with God. When he cannot go on, he prays to God for guidance and strength.
“Your will be done.”
My mother has often been quoted as saying, “Whatever it is, if you are praying about it, you can’t go wrong.”
If Martin Luther King Jr. says prayer is the “throbbing desire of the human heart,” and Martin Luther says, ‘it is as breathing is to being alive,” and my mother says you can’t go wrong with prayer. Then, I think prayer is pretty important. Even Paul urges us to ‘pray without ceasing.” That is every moment of every day.
How important is prayer? It is critical to our relationship with God, and how we get to know God/Jesus/Holy Spirit. When we come before God in prayer, God changes us, the way we think and how we act.
If you are wanting a deeper relationship with God this year, prayer is the place to start. Set aside 10-15 minutes in the morning, before you get into your day. I do it over coffee. I will read some scripture or a devotional and close my eyes and just start talking. I do also pause and let God respond. Sometimes, I come before God in silence, allowing God to speak to my heart. If you do not feel you have this kind of time, when you drive into work, cut the radio off and use that drive time to talk to God. The point is to start. You can even talk to God in the shower. Your mind is already filled with other thoughts. Why not direct your thoughts toward God. It can be as simple as, “Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name.” Or, “Lord, give me this day. Let me be more mindful of You.”
Whatever you do, just do it!
Can I pray with you?
Holy God, come to us in our weakness and make us whole. Teach us how to talk with You. Show us Your ways and may we lean into Your Will for our lives. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
P.S. Leave me a comment below and let me know how I can pray for you. Forward to message to a friend to encourage them. Post on Facebook and tag me and others in it. Until next time, just pray. -M
