December 13 I Friday

Hosea 12-14

Revelation 4

“And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests.”   —Ephesians 6:18

Prayer is our vital breath, our lifeline to God, but as we are only one person in about seven billion people in the world, it raises a number of questions. How is it possible for God to hear all our prayers? Does what we pray about have to be of vital importance or can it be of mediocre or even less importance? Does God prioritize who He answers and what He answers? And what is the point in praying when God knows what is in our hearts and His plans for our lives are already in place?

The most important part of the Christian life is the sustaining of our communion with God. Prayer not only illuminates God’s way and draws us close but also carries direction, power and wisdom of the Holy Spirit. Prayer brings knowledge of God and from God. It conveys our worship of and love for Him as well as God’s reception to us with all He pours into our lives. We commune with God from the depths of our hearts and it is from this spiritual place everything good emanates.

Prayer also provides a way of turning our agenda into God’s agenda. If there is a disconnect between what we are asking and what God knows we need, through prayer He brings us into a position where adjustments are made, conforming us to His intent and purpose.
In Oswald Chambers’ My Utmost for His Highest,
he writes, “I tell Him what I know He knows in order that I may get to know it as He does.”

God knows everything and everyone. We can ask and discuss anything with God, from what is vitally important to the relatively inconsequential, as we would a friend. God lives in the eternal present tense and can give personal attention to everyone at the same time any time. In the timelessness of His eternal state, every moment in time can be expanded infinitely to His attention, which is why He can give every one of our prayers His personal attention. He has infinite measure to share for each of us and does not take us in priority.

We are much alone with God in prayer as if we were the only person He created. When Christ died, He died for us individually. A billion people may be praying at the same time, but we have our personal audience with God. He hears and responds. There are no special techniques or methods to prayer, but simply a heart to heart communion with God. We are His children, created to live in intimate union with Him, and prayer through Jesus Christ is the only means by which this is possible.

Prayer: Dear Lord, I ask that You keep me in a prayerful relationship with You. Draw me into a deeper and closer relationship with You. Thank You, Lord.