If you were with us this past Sunday, you will remember that we looked at Romans 15:13 in particular and talked about the hope that comes with being a Christian and the resulting joy and peace that accompanies it. I defined hope as we understand it from Romans as the certainty of a reality not yet fully experienced. This is not a hope that says “I hope everything works out ok” but rather the assurance that it will because our God is in control. As Christians, we should not be overcome with worry because we know the promises of God as we have read them in Scripture, and because we have experienced the fulfillment of His promises in our own lives. Romans 15:13 says: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him…” Remember that I said if your trust is in anything other than Him and His promises, you will have disaster.
With that as our background, I want to take a look at how we pray. As you might know, for the most part, I try to have our Wednesday studies centered on prayer. I want our church to be known as the church that prays and desire that people will come to us to pray for them. As I was reading one of my morning devotionals, I could not help but see how well the devotional from Max Lucado on Tuesday morning continued with our study from Sunday. It is titled Practicing the Presence and his focus is on how we pray throughout the day, morning, noon, and night, as well as everything in between. I have found that when I pray, even when in the midst of a mess, that my focus turns more toward God and away from me. I want to encourage you to check it out and let me know your thoughts.
How do I live in God’s presence? How do I detect His unseen hand on my shoulder and His inaudible voice in my ear? A sheep grows familiar with the voice of the shepherd. How can you and I grow familiar with the voice of God? Here are a few ideas:
Give God your waking thoughts. Before you face the day, face the Father. Before you step out of bed, step into His presence. I have a friend who makes it a habit to roll out of his bed onto his knees and begin his day in prayer. Personally, I don’t get that far. With my head still on the pillow and my eyes still closed, I offer God the first seconds of my day. The prayer is not lengthy and far from formal. Depending on how much sleep I got, it may not even be intelligible. Often it’s nothing more than “Thank you for a night’s rest. I belong to you today.”
Give God your waiting thoughts. Spend time with Him in silence. The mature married couple has learned the treasure of shared silence; they don’t need to fill the air with constant chatter. Just being together is sufficient. Try being silent with God. “Be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10 NIV). Awareness of God is a fruit of stillness before God.
Give God your whispering thoughts. Through the centuries Christians have learned the value of brief sentence prayers, prayers that can be whispered anywhere, in any setting.
Imagine considering every moment as a potential time of communion with God. By giving God your whispering thoughts, the common becomes uncommon. Simple phrases such as “Thank you, Father,” “Be sovereign in this hour, O Lord,” “You are my resting place, Jesus” can turn a commute into a pilgrimage. You needn’t leave your office or kneel in your kitchen. Just pray where you are. Let the kitchen become a cathedral or the classroom a chapel. Give God your whispering thoughts.
And last, give God your waning thoughts. At the end of the day, let your mind settle on Him. Conclude the day as you began it: talking to God. Thank Him for the good parts. Question Him about the hard parts. Seek His mercy. Seek His strength. And as you close your eyes, take assurance in the promise: “He who watches over Israel will neither slumber nor sleep” (Ps. 121:4 NIV). If you fall asleep as you pray, don’t worry. What better place to doze off than in the arms of your Father.
As you can see, when we are told to pray continually or to pray without ceasing, it is something that can very easily be done. The real question is do you realize how dependent you are on Him, and do you have any idea how much He loves you? If we did, we would talk to Him all of the time. I am hopeful that this will encourage you with whatever you might face today and then again tomorrow and the days after that. Let’s commit ourselves to praying more and to praying for each other. Grab your new directory that was passed out this past Sunday and look through it. Ask God to put someone on your heart and then pray for them and maybe even give them a call.