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Although this inherent need to talk with God may not always find expression in a formal, disciplined prayer life, it is nonetheless a type of prayer. In fact, if cultivated, it may lead to a more personal quiet time with God. To experience God's love in the midst of our dependency and vulnerability causes us to nurture a more intimate fellowship with Him. To feel the freshness of His forgiveness encourages us to confess our sins. To sense His grief over our transgressions motivates us to forsake them. To know He cares about every aspect of our lives gives us an agenda for our daily prayers. We are taught to pray by praying and listening. This is why Bible study and prayer go hand in hand. The Bible is a guide to keep our prayers honest. To study the prayer lives of those who really prayed shames us out of our dull, overused prayer patterns. We lean that prayer talk can be natural and conversational. God does not require pious platitudes and meaningless catch-words. We talk to God like we normally talk. When we first learned to talk, we learned the words of prayer. There is no special vocabulary for conversation with God. Whether public or private, we simply share our thoughts with Him. It is fellowship and not formality which our Lord desires. He is much more interested in what we are thinking than how we articulate it. God wants to hear the sincere expressions of our own souls, not the warmed over words of someone else's prayer. It is a gesture of His grace that invites us to pray without ceasing. It is the leadership of His love which enables the words of our mouths and the meditations of our hearts to be acceptable in His sight. Let us not forsake the powerful possibilities for prayer. |
The instinct to pray is one of the basic responses of our human nature. There is something deep within us that cries for the attention of God. There is something about us which longs to communicate with Him who is Creator and Lord. Even those with little or no spiritual ambition have moments when they want a word with Someone who is bigger than their unmanageable predicaments. A sense of helplessness and hurt often drives us to our knees in search of some healing balm. Life is too demanding and unpredictable to face without some divine conversation.[Click Here] for an index of all available article clippings.