June. 7th Personalize Your Prayer
Bible Reading: Mat. 6:9; Jn. 4:23-24
Is. 1:18-19 ‘come now, and let us reason together, says the Lord, though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool. If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land’
Prayer is approaching and interacting with God about situations in your life. It’s a candid conversation with your heavenly Father. It’s a ‘bare-it-all’ and naked acknowledgement of one’s true state before an all-knowing and all-seeing God. You see, God doesn’t consider His omniscience a license to barge into our situations uninvited.
Imagine standing before someone who hears your thoughts loudly but then your words contradict your thoughts. Do not stand before the Father, your Source and Sustainer, pretentiously. When you are with people be they parents, pastors or peers, you ‘spill the beans’ yet you hold back before the Lord.
The song writer succinctly wrote; ‘oh what peace we often forfeit; oh what needless pain we bare; all because we do not carry everything to GOD in prayer.’ Proverbs 3:6 says ‘in all your ways acknowledge Him’. There is nothing too small, too big, too trivial or too serious to talk to God about in prayer.
Jesus said ‘come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest’ Mat. 11:28. We must all learn to take our burdens and concerns to the Lord in prayer and then walk away without still bearing the weight on our shoulders.
Prayer:
i. Consciously acknowledge God as your loving, caring, knowing and listening Father. Prov 3:6
ii. For once truly bare your heart, fears, concerns and pains before God. Is. 65:24
Thought for the Day:
The fact that God knows doesn’t preclude the faith of prayer.