I have recently rediscovered how refreshing and amazing prayer is. Now please, don't take this wrongly! I don't know if anyone would agree with me, but after some time....prayer just seems so dull, it becomes almost a drudgery, and you do it just so that you can cross it off your list of things to do.
Prayer is such an important part of our walk of Faith in our relationship with God though. It's a gift! A way that we can talk to God on a personal level. I mean, seriously!!! When you pray, you are talking to THE GOD OF THE UNIVERSE! Does that ever just blow your mind?! That we are so precious and important to Him that He made a way for us to be able to speak to Him and talk with Him! AND He listens!
Now, you may just call me a dork :-) but I LOVE to turn on instrumental music and then pray. When I'm in my car I put on my classical Piano CD and turn it up. just a little, and then I pray-out loud-to the music. I don't exactly know why I love it....but I do! Whenever I'm in my car alone, you can bet that that Piano CD is playing, and that my mind is just bursting with things to talk to God about.
I feel so refreshed after spending time with God, just pouring my heart out to him.
(For me, I have to either speak my prayers out-loud or write them down, because my mind is so active that if I didn't, I would more than likely get distracted thinking about something and end up not praying much at all.)
God desires for us to pray to him, to call upon his name, and to talk to him about the things that are on our heart and minds. He want us to tell Him of our struggle, and to tell Him of our joys. Just as if you were to sit down and talk to one of your closest friends....that, I believe, is what prayer should be. Prayer is honest, humble and personal
Closing thoughts;
Every time you pray, God is listening. Think about how amazing that is!! Prayer has the awesome power of making your world slow down. When life is moving to fast, spend some time in prayer. Prayer is your direct link to God. Talking to Him brings you closer to Him, making you more attune to His purpose for your life! Praying for others, especially in their presence, can be a huge encouragement. They will know your love as well as the love of God! Praying about your troubles will ease your load! God is eager to take on your burden and love you the entire way! And praying to God is an act of worship. In prayer you are praising Him for all that He has done and is yet to do. Praise God!
Your thoughts on this subject are very welcome.
Blessings
I was thinking about this yesterday. You have said it well, and, it is a delight to read your heart in this. Love you sooo much!!
ReplyDeletemama
I appreciated your comment that prayer makes you more attune to God's purpose in your life. Its easy to think of prayer as a tool to move God toward my will, when really it is God's tool to help align us with His will.Prayer changes us more than it changes the world around us.
ReplyDeleteI also enjoyed your comments that showed you are learning to enjoy being in His presence whether you are sharing your heart or just waiting... in His presence. Thank you for your thots and challenge.
Yes, for sure! Thank you Mr. Hill
DeleteHey actually I was just wondering how did you put music on your page? I think it would be cool to do that but don't know how. If you can't reply right away that's fine!
ReplyDeleteThanks! ~Heather
Oh yes of course Heather :) I use Wikiplayer. It is really easy, and gives you step by step instructions. Here is a link to get you started. - http://www.wikplayer.com It will ask you to add a song title and song URL....I just used youtube. I'm sorry I'm not very good at explaining, or giving instructions...but if you need more help,just let me know :):)
DeleteGood stuff. You got it right with "Prayer is your direct link to God." I know what you mean about when prayer becomes a duty, something you can "cross off your list" and I have felt that at times and I never like it when that happens because it means my focus is off. I can sometimes be the same way in my relationship with other people where it becomes a duty to listen to them, talk to them, serve them. And then I know that I am focusing too much on myself and not on them. Oh, I *am* focusing on them as in trying to focus on serving them for instance, but in reality I am focusing on how *I* am serving, how *I* am paying attention to them. I need to focus on how *they* are feeling, what *they* are thinking and putting my thoughts over into their thoughts and then I can do much better in being empathetic and actually loving them.
ReplyDeleteSo it is with God, when I focus on God's thoughts on God's words to me (in the Bible) and recognize how much God loves me and how he has provided this way called prayer where I can actually go directly to him, not through some priest or mediator like in olden times, but I can have a "direct link to God" where I can actually get to know Him and realize how He actually wants to know me as well. Of course he already does know all about me (better than I know myself) but the point is that he actually cares enough to want to hear from us anyway, what we are thinking, how we are feeling, our joys and our struggles. It reminds me of how my mom would always say, "Tell me about your day" and then sit there and actually listen and then she would rejoice in the good things, empathize in the sad things and it made it a really wonderful privilege to be able to talk in this way.
So once I start to think of God like that, it changes my perspective and makes prayer a joy and a privilege and no longer a duty or a drudgery. But at times it *does* get hard because life just gets really tiring at times. Times like those you probably just need to say nothing, just slow down, wait, listen and rest in his presence and let him renew your heart and you strength.
I appreciate your words of encouragement in the matter of prayer. Thank you for sharing with us. Those are my thoughts after reading your thoughts. My thoughts probably only make complete sense to my mind's odd combination of analytical and introspective, yet sensitive and perceptive feeling.
Keep blogging. It is always good to hear from you.
Thank you ever so much, uncle Carl, for your thoughts! They made sense to me :):)
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