Just Pray

I’m at a huge point in my faith life. I just got back from an amazing weekend with my Intervarsity friends called Fall Conference where I learned how to be a spiritual mentor, and like all the Fall Conferences I’ve been to, my faith got a huge boost. I feel a sincerity there that is hard to find in everyday life.

This personal fact brought up a question, why not? Why can’t I feel God’s amazing love and grace all the time? I think that my closeness to God is proportional to my prayer life.

I picked up a few books at Fall Conference, one that is a quiet time guide over a year, which is a great way to keep focus which can be very hard to have when I feel like I have so much to do. The other is a book called “Too Busy Not to Pray” by Bill Hybels. He makes some great observations on how an everyday Christian can have an intimate relationship with our Heavenly Father through prayer.

I read a chapter today called Praying Like Jesus. He uses Jesus’ words in Matthew 6 to explain that many people’s view of prayer is skewed. He says, “God doesn’t want us to pile up impressive phrases. He doesn’t want us to use words without thinking of their meaning. He wants us to talk to him as to a friend or father – authentically, reverently, personally, earnestly.” This made me consider my personal prayer life and a need to seek God more intimately.

I spend a lot of time talking to God. This is my definition of prayer. I move around and talk to him like he’s there walking by my side listening to every word I speak. I tell him about my day, what he does for me that I love, and what I need from him to be the man that he wants me to be.

As can be seen, I pray any time. Many Christians only pray at church, and maybe at the dinner table and before sleeping with the “Now I lay me” prayer. It’s unfortunate that so many Christians see prayer as something to do only when we have the words ingrained in our brains. God doesn’t want memorized prayers that we mindlessly speak just to get them out of the way.

God loves you so much. He wants nothing more than to be with you. We need to wake up from our blindness and see that God just wants our sincerity. He wants to hear from you just like your family and friends do. He cares about your hardships and accomplishments. So take some time today to talk to God because he hears you, and he is more than willing to answer back when you take the time to be with him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:28-30