Matthew 6:7-8 – And when you pray, do not keep on babbling like pagans, for they think they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them, for your Father knows what you need before you ask Him. (NIV)
Romans 8:26b – We do not know what we ought to pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. (NIV)
I remember a time when our children were quite young. We were praying together. Our daughter, who was about three and couldn't speak (having been born profoundly deaf), was mumbling something that was not understandable. Our son, who was five, said, "That's okay. God knows what she's saying." Out of the mouths of babes!
Isn't this true of our own prayers? Too often we worry about what to say to God, or we try to use fancy words and phrases. God doesn't care about the words we use when we pray to Him. He just wants us to talk to Him as we would to a friend, to let Him know how we feel, to share our joys, our sorrows, our fears, our thanks and our requests with Him. This is what prayer is really all about — spending time with God — talking to Him and listening to Him.
Out of all the minutes in a day, how many do we devote to God? Our days would go so much better if we made prayer a priority in our lives, if we prayed more, if we spent time in His presence every day. The words of this poem say it well:
- The Difference
I got up early one morning
And rushed right into the day;
I had so much to accomplish
I didn't take time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me
And heavier grew each task;
Why doesn't God help me, I wondered.
He answered, "You didn't ask."
I wanted to see joy and beauty,
But the day toiled on, gray and bleak;
I wondered why God didn't show me —
He said, "But you didn't seek."
I tried to come into God's presence;
I used all my keys at the lock;
God gently and lovingly chided,
"My child, you didn't knock."
I woke up early this morning
And paused before entering the day;
I had so much to accomplish
That I had to take time to pray.
- Grace L. Naessens
1 Thessalonians 5:17 – Pray without ceasing (NKJV)
Prayer: Heavenly Father, we want to draw close to You and to know You. Thank You for the gift of prayer. Help us to pray to You more often and to share everything with You — our joys and our sorrows, our fears and our thanks, and even our requests. May our prayers be a sweet, sweet sound in Your ear, O God. We pray in Jesus' name. Amen.
