ThrowBacks

Have you ever awakened, gotten your workout in, made your smoothie or your coffee, checked to make sure the clothes in the dryer were dry but forgot to pray? We’ve all done it. For some, it can mess up the whole day, while for others, it really doesn’t make a difference at all. Prayer is perhaps the most important activity of the day, yet so many of us neglect to do it. 

Many neglect prayer because we tend to think that it is an extremely formal action. Praying doesn’t just happen in church, nor does it have to be some grand theatrical ordeal. You don’t have to have a “war room” to pray. Yes, there are times and seasons in which you must engage in intense, sacrificial prayer; but that’s not the only way to pray. I Thessalonians 5:16b tells us to “pray without ceasing”; that means praying continually. Jesus even stated in Luke 18:1, “that men ought to always pray.” No one can accomplish that “always pray” regimen if prayer is pigeonholed into always being a grand, formal practice. But prayer, at its very core, is simply talking with God.

One of the reasons people struggle with prayer is that they don’t have a proper relationship with God. They aren’t necessarily bad people, but they hadn’t really taken the time to get to know Him. We often approach God like we do strangers. It’s awkward. It’s clumsy. It’s grossly impersonal. It’s almost like we are trapped in an elevator with God, and we feel the pressure to just say something, anything. The reason we feel like this is because we haven’t really taken the time to get to know Him. I understand. He’s God! He is the supreme being. There’s no one like Him. He knows everything about you, yet to us, He is a mystery. That can be very intimidating, but God is inviting you to come and talk to Him.

Remember, prayer is a conversation with God. He wants you to come and talk to Him so that He can talk to you. God is like the girl or the guy who wants you to take them to the dance, and the only way they will go is if you ask. God’s not going to force Himself into your space, but all He wants you to do is talk to Him. Tell Him about what’s going on in your life. Share your hopes and dreams as well as your fears and frustrations. Just talk to Him, and He will talk to you. The more you do, the more comfortable you will be with Him and the less awkward you will feel with Him. Just like you would send a quick text message to your best friend, say a quick prayer to God, because that’s what He wants. He wants a relationship with you. So come and talk to Him, He really wants you to know Him.

“Come And Talk To Me”, written and produced by DeVonte Swing, performed by Jodeci released 1992.