The Beautiful Gift of Prayer

Have you ever found yourself saying, “I don’t know how to pray” or “I wish I had a better prayer life”? In Matthew 21:13, Jesus declares that His house is to be a house of prayer. And, in 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18, we are told to pray with joy and a heart full of gratitude.

These verses give us plenty of good information to get us started on a meaningful prayer life, one that honors God and changes us. As believers, we are the temple of the Lord. His Spirit indwells us. Doesn’t it make sense, then, that we should be all about prayer?

The body that houses us should be a house of prayer. When we shut off the noise of this world and tune into the Spirit within us, we step into the path of transformation. This is the place where we come before God to orientate ourselves to His way of thinking. It’s where we hear His voice speaking to us. It’s easy to talk about wanting to be in God’s will, but it’s impossible to do so without spending time in His Word and in His presence.

Our understanding of prayer will shape its role in our lives. In the gospels, we see that Jesus often left the crowds to spend time with the Father. It was in these intimate times that He learned more about His mission, gained resolve of purpose, and was filled with the love of God. Even Jesus, the Son of God, needed daily time with the Father. He needed to hear from Him before proceeding. He needed to be connected to the Father in order to fulfill His purpose on earth. I believe we have that same need.

Once we see our need, we can approach a new beginning of a life spent in prayer. With joy and thanksgiving, we come before the throne of God. This posture comes from appreciating the awesome nature of God. As we grow in our knowledge of who He is, and how much He loves and pursues us, it’s easy to sing His praises. His majesty humbles us and quiets our restless hearts. In humble thanksgiving, we experience the joy of the Lord. As we exalt our God, the deception of sin falls away and we begin to feel the joy that comes from being in His presence. Sin’s grip on us loosens and our eyes are opened to the new life He offers.

A great way to establish yourself as a house of prayer is to begin and end your day by talking to God. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you as you go about your day. Let Him know what you are anxious about and who needs His help. Ask Him to highlight a person that you can help or encourage that day. In my experience, there is usually someone we can bless. Take time to praise Him for the big and little ways He shows up. You will be encouraged to see that He is at work in your life and wants to use you to be His hands and feet.

This is my prayer of worship this morning.

Father God, we worship You today. We thank You for showing us your majesty in the world around us. We have every reason to be grateful for we know that every good gift comes from Your hand. Remind us of all You created. Tell us of Your wondrous works.

As I look out over the ocean, I praise You for giving us the big, blue sea. Through it, You give us fish to eat and dolphins to study and enjoy. You created the sun and the moon to not only light up the sky but also to control the ocean tides. Every day, these tides create waves along the shore as the water trips over the sandy bottom and spills over itself. We praise You for these powerful waves that shape the shoreline. We praise You for the sound of crashing waves that are so peaceful that we can use them to lull ourselves to sleep at night. You did all this for us!

You give us family and friends that provide a place to belong. You give us brains that bring us the ability to see, learn, create, and remember. You give us the gift of touch so we can feel the joy of a hug, and feel a baby’s new skin, so soft that we stop to marvel at it.

Help us see Your gifts all around us. Focus our hearts on You so we may serve You, wholeheartedly. Teach us to see You as the Loving Creator that You are. Quiet our minds to hear Your beautiful voice speaking to us. We worship You and exalt Your holy name.

Let this day be seen through the eyes of a child of God, full of wonder and anticipation, confident in the Father’s love.

Amen

Can you stop, now, and honor God with your praise? Look around you. His fingerprints are everywhere. Tell Him what you see and give Him the praise He deserves. Gaze upon His beauty. It will transform your life.

Gloria Nelson

Teaching & Training Consultant

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"Let the redeemed of the Lord tell their story..."

Psalm 107:2

“Exalt the LORD our God and worship at his footstool; he is holy.”

Psalm 99:5