Prayer is a vitally important tool as we face the world and everything it brings to bare against us.
Bible Verse
Psalms 55:22 (NASB) 22 Cast your burden upon the LORD and He will sustain you; He will never allow the righteous to be shaken.
Prayer
There is perhaps no greater tool provided to us by God than prayer. Prayer can be both offensive and defensive. We have the opportunity to ask God to show us the road He has prepared for us. And we can ask Him to protect us when the enemy attempts to ambush us as we follow that road. Throughout life we will stumble and fall. We will commit sin and disappoint both God and those around us. When these times come, we can ask God for His forgiveness and He forgives. He is a loving and caring God who forgives us of all our sins (1 John 1:9). Our God is with us in every situation that life brings our way. He is only a breath away.
Sometimes prayer can be confusing. It can seem like God is not answering or we are not receiving the answer we want. We have come to a point where we expect immediate gratification. God is not a cosmic vending machine. Sometimes He makes us wait to teach us patience and trust. There are also times that His answer is not the answer we want. God knows what is best for us and we need to learn to accept His answers and trust Him even when we are not getting the exact answer we think we deserve. We need to learn to ask according to God’s will, not our own personal will. We see a perfect example of this in Jesus’ prayer before He was arrested and delivered to be put to death (Matthew 26:39). When Jesus prayed on the night of His betrayal Jesus put God’s will above His own.
Application
John tells us that we can have confidence that God hears our prayers if we ask according to His will (1John 5:14-15). Further, we can have confidence that he not only hears our prayers, but we can have confidence that He will answer.
Do you pray as often as you should? Prayer does not have to be long and complicated. It can be short and but a few words.
When presenting your prayers before God, do you ask that His will be done?
Learn to trust God and look for answers that are according to His will, even if His will is not what you expect.
Prayer
Lord, thank You that You are a God who not only hears our prayers but answers them. Help me to learn to wait on You and Your perfect answers.
If you want to know more about having a relationship with Jesus, see the resources: How to Know God.
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