Do Your Prayers Sometimes Feel Like Bricks? Part One

God gives His best to those who want Him most. “Fear not, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am God, I will strengthen you, yes I will help you, I will uphold you with My righteous right-hand.” (Is. 41:10).

Do you think Moses, or Daniel or Joseph or any of the patriarchs listed in the Bible ever went through times when they felt that their prayers were like chewing on cotton. I suspect Moses did when dealing with the million or so complainers in his forty year trek through frustrationville; or Daniel when in the midst of the pussy cats ; or Joseph when in prison for something that he did not do. All went through times when they wondered if God was tuned into their wave length.

In the past months I have been asking God to open my heart and mind that I might know Him better. I believe to know Him better means that we need to make the same request to Him the disciples requested, “Teach us to pray”. (Luke 11:1).

And did God answer my prayer? Let me share some points that I feel God opened my eyes to: The first step to effective prayer is that God prepares us: The Holy Spirit stirs our spirit, and gives us a hunger and thirst for God. “It shall come to pass that before they call, I will answer, and while they are still speaking, I will hear.” (Isaiah 65:24)

Long before we think of praying, God is thinking of us. “When you search for Me with all your heart, I will be found by you, says the Lord.” (Jeremiah 29:11-14). Does that not get your feet to dancing? Is it not good to know we are always on God’s mind? I have also come to the realization that the whole point of time alone with God is ‘To allow Him the opportunity to love us.’

Is it not fabulous that He also wants to guide our thoughts and give us wisdom. God knows our needs, problems, and responds to those needs. Is God’s phone number on your speed-dial? It is Jeremiah 33:4, ”Call to me, and I will answer you, and show you great and might things, which you do not know.” The Hebrew Word for mighty means “Inaccessible or beyond human understanding.”

Sooooo, In one of Ryan’s epistles he said he had learned that we do not get intimately involved with God through prayer until we hit one of the Waterloo’s in our life. I believe he is oh so right. My prayer for you is that you front load your prayers so that when the tough times come, you are up to date in relationship with Abba Father.

Blessings

Gramps