“People sometimes say that the only reason for prayer is that we need to be changed. Certainly we do, but this is not the only reason to pray. Jesus was not being made more holy by prayer. He was communing with His Father. He was asking for things. He thanked God. He was also laying down His own will.”
–Elisabeth Eliot
I don't need to be reminded how important prayer and talking to God is. I already know that. (Something will inevitably slap me across the face to let me know I can't do everything or anything on my own).
It might be a lack of patience with the kids. It might be a lack of trust with finances. It might be an impossible person. It might even be the lack of hours and minutes in the day.
Regardless, there is always something to pray about or to pray for. That has never been the issue.
What I do need on a regular basis is the motivation and determination to stick to it. I can't tell you how many times I tell myself, "I couldn't have done this without the Lord's help." And yet when another irritation, frustration, pressure or stress comes up, I somehow fail to remember to go to God FIRST before the issue becomes too big to handle.
I'm not sure why it's such a difficult concept for my little brain to grasp. My God is big enough to handle anything.
I'm reminded of a song that we used to sing in VBS growing up. The lyrics went: "My God is so big, so strong and so mighty, there's nothing my God cannot do."
He has proved Himself time and time again, yet giving up control of a situation is still so difficult to do.
It's not tough to pray to Him and ask for His help. It's not tough to thank Him for what He's done. What is tough, is giving up my will to Him. And it's hard to not get so busy that I don't have time or energy to simply be in communion with Him.
There’s always a million dishes to wash, thousands of clothes to fold and don’t get me started on the number of toys in our house. Life has a tendency to just be busy and take up our time for more “important” things, if we let it. Instead of household chores, my priority should be communion with my Father.
This might take the form of prayer or may even be a simple conversation. "Good morning, God. I'm so glad you'll be with me today. I know I'm going to need your help around mid-afternoon when I've been listening to who wants to play with what colored four-wheeler since 8 a.m. I pray I'll make it that long without snapping. Thank you for lending me your patience and your perspective."
See? It's so easy. All that is required is the effort on my part. I have never felt that it was a one-way conversation. I can almost always feel His presence, even if I don't receive a particular answer to a particular problem right away.
Writer Henri Nouwen performed an experiment of sorts by attempting to be in constant dialogue or communion with God. His results are fascinating. How inspiring to know that you can, if you work at it, have a spiritual union with God that doesn't have to take place just when you pray, but rather all your waking hours!
If you look closely at the life of Jesus, it’s what he did on a daily and hourly basis. He knew His Father not just because He was Jesus, but also because he was always communing with Him.
Jesus’ example is a call for us to be in constant prayer or constant dialogue or a constant abiding in God’s presence.
I know I'm not worthy of the honor, but I'm so encouraged that He would even consider it, I can't help but feel special and loved.
What a God that He would even offer Himself to us on such a personal level. Even if it's amid the dirty socks, broken toys and peanut butter sandwiches.
