Sitting down with a cup of tea (black tea with a touch of lemon, which is my favourite) and having a chat with someone I love are the few activities I appreciate more than others.

Not all chats, however, are fun. Constant stress over what to say next makes a chat with someone you hardly know taxing rather than energising. The individual you are talking with really makes all the difference.

The Joy of Praying #

People see prayer in many faiths as a dialogue with God. Not surprisingly, therefore, people’s feelings toward prayer depend on their perspective of God. Prayer becomes a terrible chore if we see God as someone who rewards or condemns us depending on our religious performance.

Desperate situations so make it imperative to seek his favour. For others, prayer is just a means of mental relaxation and peace-seeking technique in a world gone turbulent. To some, prayer sounds great but in actuality, it is so boring that it finally disappears from their life.

Christians have these conflicting feelings regarding prayer since no one is perfect. Therefore, it is imperative not to allow our emotions to direct our prayer life but rather let God’s live Spirit, through His Word, form how we pray.

Colossians 3:16 — Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly, teaching and exhorting one another with all wisdom, singing psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs, all with grace in your hearts to God.

Fundamentally, communication is a form of connecting. It shows that God created humans in his image. He made us to be close to him and others. Talking with God so has much in common with human communication.

Praying for growth is never easy #

Our most satisfying talks are with those who “get” us, that is, those who know us well and with whom we share the ups and downs of life. Real love forms the basis of these ties, which underlie meaningful communication. The height of human relationships is when others love and understand us.

Though God created us in his likeness, he is much different from us. In the cosmos, he is the most beautiful, good and kind Spirit. In ways that most significant human interactions cannot, prayer fulfils our hearts. More profoundly than anybody else could, God knows and loves us.

God understands our feelings entirely in times of gloom or loss when human words cannot so console us. Psalm 139:1 tells us he examines and knows us; Psalm 139:2 tells us our thoughts from far away; Psalm 139:4 tells us our words even before we utter them.

Prayer is beautiful in that we do not need to know the correct words or any words at all. (Luke 28:9–14)

Romans 8:26-27 — In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness, for we do not know how we should pray, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with inexpressible groanings. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes on behalf of the saints according to God’s will.

Though groans, sighs, and tears, prayer puts our hearts before God. It is a graceful way we know he understands us.

An orphaned heart shows itself as a prayer-less existence #

The fact that God not only completely loves but also understands us makes prayer much more priceless. Nobody human can do that.

Though he sees all of our suffering, guilt, sin, failure, brokenness, and rebellion, God greets each one with the fullness of his love. But nowhere, dark or terrible, can God’s love not reach.

1 John 1:9 — But if we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous, forgiving us our sins and cleansing us from all unrighteousness.

Praying helps us to present our most damaged and hated aspects to God’s perfect love, therefore enabling him to empower us.

Our Pursuit of Prayer #

Not easy is growing in prayer. In the pivotal minutes before his crucifixion, even Jesus’s followers battled to remain conscious when he asked them to pray. (Mark 14:32–41)

Usually, prayer is not our first reaction when life seems out of hand. The reason it is so challenging is a deep-seated mistrust of God. We behave as if we are on our own and have to look for ourselves.

An orphaned heart shows itself in a prayer-less existence. It cannot perceive God as a loving Father committed to serve us. But God is a Father yearning for us to interact with him amid the bustle, the daily grind, the dirt, and the conflicts of life. He wants us to live his continuous presence in every moment.

1 Thessalonians 5:17 — constantly pray,

We will naturally start to pray like Jesus as God shapes us to be more like him.

Psalms 16:7 — I will praise the LORD who guides me; yes, during the night I reflect and learn.

It is difficult to believe that God hears our thoughts without feeling the same way when those ideas make us. Still, God wants to hear from us just as we are.

Our prayers are not something we have to clean. Jesus urges us to come before him. When we are anxious, furious, embarrassed, and surrounded by darkness and temptation, God first wants prayer.

Philippians 4:6-7 — Do not be anxious about anything. Instead, in every situation, through prayer and petition with thanksgiving, tell your requests to God. And the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

The Hope to Pray #

We do not have to strive alone even if developing in prayer sometimes seem like a battle. God changes our hearts to help us to better trust him by means of his redemption. We shall automatically start to pray like Jesus as God helps us to be more like him. (John 17)

Luke 22:42 — “Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Yet not my will but yours be done.” [

Prayer will gradually change as we develop our confidence in Jesus and grasp of his love for us. Prayer will become our means of closely interacting with and relying on God, not just a surface task or a list of needs.

Confident that complete love releases all fear, we shall discover freedom from humiliation and put our actual selves before him.

1 John 4:18 — There is no fear in love, but perfect love drives out fear, because fear has to do with punishment. The one who fears punishment has not been perfected in love.

Trusting our Father who gave us his Son would provide everything we need, therefore we may openly ask for our needs as well as those of others.

Hebrews 4:16 — Therefore let us confidently approach the throne of grace to receive mercy and find grace whenever we need help.

Prayer will become a joyful means of experiencing God’s heart, not just his hand, interceding for others and putting our trust on the assurance of God’s kingdom coming on earth, as it is in heaven.

1 John 5:14-15 — And this is the confidence that we have before him: that whenever we ask anything according to his will, he hears us. And if we know that he hears us in regard to whatever we ask, then we know that we have the requests that we have asked from him.

Blessings,

Godwin.