Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Prayer

At bible talk tonight, we really focussed a lot on prayer, which I think is something we all struggle with from time to time.  I know for myself, as much as I love God, and as big of a part of my life he is, I totally don't take enough time out of my day to spend praying and talking with him.  Sometimes, I go days without praying and I just completely forget that prayer is so essential.  I get so caught up with all of these temporary pleasures that the world has to offer and I forget all about Jesus.  It seems as though there's always a television show to catch up on, a game to play, a party to go to, or something "more important" to do than spending time with Jesus and it totally separates us from his love.

When I reflect on this, it upsets me so much.  I mean, God listens to each and every one of us, every minute of every day.  He doesn't forget about us,  or put us on the back burner for bigger, better things.  He's always ready to talk, and ready for us to ask for his guidance.

I think that prayer is important for so many reasons.  For starters, how can you have a relationship if it's only one sided?  Imagine being in a relationship with someone, who just coexisted with you, didn't really speak to you,  didn't listen when you asked them anything, or didn't answer any of you questions.  How would you feel?  When we forget to pray, and forget to spend time with Jesus, or neglect to listen to what he has to tell us, it's the same thing.  It's as though Jesus is in a 1-way relationship with us, and we're not reciprocating his love.

Prayer shouldn't only happen when you need something, or you're in a bind.  You know how it goes, "Oh God, please don't let me fail this exam, or please help me get out of this terrifying situation, or please help me find a boyfriend.".  But then, when God answers our prayers, we forget to thank him and praise him for all of his mercy, grace, and unconditional love.  We need to pray more, just to talk with him, and ask for guidance, wisdom, strength, patience, and the same unconditional love for others that he has for us, instead of just seeking God when we need or want things.

I know so many people who struggle with their faith, and struggle with prayer because they feel as though God doesn't listen to them, and neglects to answer their prayers.  This is totally not true.  I think in so many instances, we pray for things WE want, and we pray that things work out in our favour, and when they don't, we associate it with God's lack of answers.  What we have to remember is that God has out whole entire life planned out, from the day we are conceived until the day we make our journey to Heaven..  He knows the bigger picture, while we just know what we want at a given time.  Sometimes, awful things happen that only strengthen us and reinforce our relationship with Christ.

When I pray, I pray for God to show me where he wants me to be, and to use me as he desires.  I pray that he will use me as a disciple to both encourage others in their walk with him, and to lose my selfish ways, and completely surrender to him.  I pray that his will be done, but that he creates an outcome in my favour.  I trust that my Saviour won't lay on me more than I can handle, and that he has a bigger plan for my life than I can even imagine possible.  And that's why I know that in order for God to use me, I need to spend more time in prayer, and more time getting to know him and strengthening our relationship.

Recently, my parents began praying together, every night. They began truly relying on God for answers instead of taking matters into their own hands.  When things get rough, sometimes they slip, but usually one is there to encourage the other to seek guidance from God or one of the many wonderful pastors who have helped my family grow in our faith.  Since then, their relationship has strengthened so much, and their faith in Jesus has also grown much stronger.

This is something I think every couple should do.  I know that we don't do it, and after tonight, I challenge myself and Chris to take time every morning or every night to spend with The Lord, together.  If we can't pray together, than how can we encourage each other to grow in our faith and include God in our relationship?  In order to grow as a couple, we need to grow together in Jesus.  And in order to grow together in Jesus, we need to spend more time with him, and one way is through prayer.

Pray.  Even if you don't think you have the right words, or you're not sure what to say, or what to pray for, just pray.  Start small.  Even just stop to acknowledged God on a beautiful sunny morning, or when something positive happens, thank him.  Every relationship with Jesus is unique and special.  Don't feel like because some people pray more than you, their relationship is better or God is going to love them more.  God love each and every one of us with a love that is so immense he gave his son for us.  He knows our intentions, he knows when the prayers are real, and all he wants is for us to love him as much as he loves us.

So pray.

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