HOW TO TALK TO GOD

Psalm 116:1-19

I love the Lord, because He has heard my voice and my supplications. Psalm 116:1

Some people are afraid to ask God for the “little things.” They think that somehow He is too big and too busy to care about the trivialities of their lives. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Catherine Marshall explains in her book Adventures in Prayer:

Oddly, we who are afraid to ask that the pain of rheumatism be removed or a lost contact lens be found often do not hesitate to pray for world peace or the salvation of souls or a revival to change the face of our time. It never occurs to us that if God’s power is lacking for these everyday prayers, His power to handle big, all-inclusive petitions will be lacking too.

In order to make sure that we are not retreating from the tension of faith, it is helpful to ask ourselves as we pray, “Do I really expect anything to happen?” This will prevent us from going window-shopping in prayer. At times window-shopping can be enjoyable—but there it ends. . . .

So we decide to ask His help with some small immediate need. Our asking is like stepping into a tiny anteroom. Taking a hesitant step forward, we discover that the anteroom leads into the King’s spacious reception hall.

To our astonishment, the King Himself comes forward to meet us, offering a gift so momentous as to be worthy only of the King.

Lord, thank You for being present in the small details of my life, for it is in finding You in the little things that I find courage to bring You the large ones.

A MATTER TO PRAY ABOUT

Isaiah 58:11-12

…as His divine power has given to us all things that pertain to life and godliness, through the knowledge of Him who called us by glory and virture. 2 Peter 1:3

Have you evaluated your spiritual life lately? If you did a thorough assessment of your perspective of God, you might be surprised by what you find.

Millions of Christians have received Christ as their Savior, but still give in to the allure of sin. Faith becomes merely a habit or an accessory, rather than a heart conviction and a way of life. When pulled in two directions, such people compromise themselves because they are convinced that they can’t live the way Christ did.

There are several reasons for this kind of erroneous thinking:

• They are probably ignorant of God’s Word and the power He gives us to live out authentic Christianity.
• They may think that their behavior is acceptable because they see other Christians living the same way—they are looking at their friends, not at Christ.
• Those who refuse to surrender completely to the Lord will never know the power of His Spirit to overcome sin.

If you struggle with any of these issues, remember that you are a new creation in Christ. You can draw strength from God’s divine nature, which lives in you (2 Peter 1:3). It is available for the asking.

When you pray today, ask God to extinguish your love for the world and to replace it with a love for Him and His Word. Pray for Him to fill you with His Spirit so that you can discern wisely. “You will be…like a spring of water whose waters never fail” (Isaiah 58:11, NIV).

Father, extinguish my love for the world. Replace it with a love for You and Your Word. Fill me with Your Spirit so I can discern wisely.

REQUIREMENTS FOR ANSWERED PRAYER

Psalm  66:1-18

If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear. Psalm 66:18

Is there something in your life that you have prayed for repeatedly? Perhaps your prayers are for a mended relationship, a job offer, or healing. Whatever your need may be, the Bible provides us with five requirements for answered prayer.

1. Complete dependence on Christ as the only grounds upon which we can claim blessing (John 14:13-14). We cannot rely on our personal merit for answered prayer. Instead, we must trust in Jesus alone.
2. Separation from all known sin (Psalm 66:18). If we continue in sin, God will not answer our prayers. To do so would be to condone our sinfulness.
3. Faith in God’s word of promise (Hebrews 11:6). It is important to understand the difference between God’s unconditional and conditional promises, and which ones are affected by our obedience.
4. Asking in accordance with His will (1 John 5). We must pray in God’s will for our prayers to be answered. To know His heart, we must consult His Word and pray.
5. Persistence in our request (Luke 18:1-8). God wants us to continue in prayer until our request is answered or until He says, “I have something better.” God is willing to answer our prayers, and He asks us to come boldly before the throne.

Cleanse my heart, Lord, of wrongdoing, so that I can surrender to Your will in prayer and depend completely on Your grace.

HAVE YOU TALKED TO GOD?

Psalm 105:1-5

Oh, give thanks to the Lord! Call upon His name; make known His deeds among the peoples! Psalm 105:1

When problems face us, we frequently try to figure out the solution ourselves. If we can patch it up, glue it down, or tape it on, we attempt to do so. Other times, we’ll call someone to ask for a solution, but we are actually seeking sympathy and support to make ourselves feel better. Sometimes what we really need is for somebody to say, “Well, I appreciate you calling me, but have you talked to God about it? Have you prayed?”

Solving problems should begin with seeking the Lord before there is a crisis. In times of peace, we will experience the joy and contentedness that comes from worshiping God, reading His Word, and communicating with Him. When we set our hearts toward the Lord, our faith is strengthened, and we develop godly habits that sustain us through trials. We will awaken each morning thinking about God and talking to Him. We will ask God throughout the day about His plans for us and will act accordingly. Prayer will become our customary response.

Then, whenever we face any kind of problem, our first thought will be, “Father.” In that one word, we acknowledge our relationship with Him, our awareness of His presence, and our dependence upon Him. God loves to hear His name on our lips, and He promises to respond to the prayer that follows.

But what if you are presently in the midst of trouble but haven’t been seeking Him consistently? Begin now by humbly confessing this to God. Receive His forgiveness and then take every situation to Him in prayer.

Father, forgive me for trying to solve my problems without first seeking Your wisdom. Write Your name on my lips so that I may call on You first.

IN TIMES OF TRIAL

Psalm 25:1-7

To You, O Lord, I lift up my soul. Psalm 25:1

No matter whether you are saved or unsaved, you can be certain that you will face problems in life. Because we live in a fallen world, we can expect trouble. But once you become a child of God, you have the tremendous asset of a loving heavenly Father to guide you. He will strengthen you to face any problem you will encounter.

Since you do not know what the future holds, perhaps the best way to prepare for a crisis is to seek the Lord when your life is problem free. When you become accustomed to seeking God during the good times, then your first response to a problem will become, “Father…” Calling out to the Lord during both ups and downs reminds us of our position as children of God.

So many people make the mistake of deciding on a course of action before praying to discover the mind of God. Bad choices can be easily avoided by going to our heavenly Father first. We should never let anyone push us into moving forward until we have heard from God. And we can be sure that when we call upon the Lord, He will be faithful to answer.

Sometimes His answer will come in a personal revelation or through godly teaching. Or it could come in the form of advice from a Christian friend. But most often, God reveals His will to us through His Word.

Are you facing a trial? Release it to the Lord in prayer, and He will help you overcome it.

Lord, Your will is a mystery that becomes clearer when I spend time in Your presence. Help me to seek Your counsel in good times, so that I recognize it in difficult ones.

RESULTS OF PRAYER

Luke 18:1-5

Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart. Luke 18:1

Yesterday we discussed three elements that will make our prayers more effective. Today, let’s talk about the results we can expect from our efforts toward improvement.

There are ten things that should accompany devoted prayer:

1. A growing relationship with Christ
2. A change in perspective: God’s versus your own
3. A positive faith attitude
4. Peace in the midst of pressure
5. A purifying effect on you morally
6. Spiritual growth in every ear of your life
7. A passion to obey God
8. Reliance upon God to meet every need
9. Power in your service for God
10. Productivity in every area of life

What do you think about this list? Are you seeing some of the results mentioned above? Whether you are gaining victory in one area or all ten, you can be certain that, as you devote yourself to prayer, God will allow amazing things to happen in your life. He will use you in ways you never thought possible, and you will discover relationship with Him that is indescribable.

Prayer is so simple. Truly, it is the act of communicating openly with God. It is a matter of giving time to the Father to let Him do in your life what He chooses to do. Are you ready to take your prayer life to a higher level? God is listening because He loves you.

Lord, help me to recognize that I can gain far more depth of character from spending time with You than I ever I will by reading how-to books.

THREE ELEMENTS OF PRAYER

Colossians 4:2-6

Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving. Colossians 4:2

How would you assess your prayer life inits current state? Do you pray regularly? Are your prayers answered by God? If you find that you are less than satisfied with your times of fellowship with God, do not become discouraged. Many believers struggle to maximize their prayer lives, but the Bible has many wonderful tips for improvement:

• We must devote ourselves to prayer (Colossians 4:2-4). We are to pray without ceasing, and with the expectation of seeing results. Devoting ourselves to prayer means making time for listening to the Father as well as for talking to Him.
• We must stay alert in prayer (Ephesians 6:18-19). This means we must be aware as we pray. What should we be aware of? The schemes of Satan. The enemy wants to distract you from prayer. He wants your mind to drift and our heart to be troubled. If we expect these things, we can counteract them by focusing more intently on the task before us—communicating with God.
• We should pray with a spirit of thanksgiving (Colossians 3:16-17). We should never forget to thank God for the goodness He has shown us, or for the goodness He will show us in the future. Thank Him for listening, for His faithfulness, and for the answer He will bring.

Begin incorporating these three elements into your prayer life as soon as possible, and wait in faith for God to honor your efforts.

Lord, give me a heart to pray without ceasing, the stamina to stay in focus, and a spirit of thanksgiving for Your faithfulness.