The Primary Reason for Praying
Prayer time is relationship time with Christ our Savior and King, with article voiceover included
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The principal means our Lord has ordained for we humans to communicate to Him is by our praying. When we pray to Him we are building a relationship with our Living, Loving, Lord.
It isn’t just saying words in the air, like talking to ourselves, but is spending time talking to the Un-created Maker of Heaven and Earth.
He who abides in the shelter of the Most High Will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. —Psalm 91:1 LSB
To abide in is to dwell. Where we dwell, and with whom we dwell, receives the bulk of our time and our attention, doesn’t it? How we spend that time shows us who or what is most important to us.
This is similar to time with a loved one, someone we are in close relationship with: we devote time, energy and attention to them. Prayer time is relationship time with Christ our Savior, our Heavenly Father, and the Holy Spirit.
Our prayers are not for merely getting our felt needs met. It is not just getting something from the Lord as if He is a big vending machine in the sky, handing out goodies when we punch the right buttons. Not that asking for physical, tangible things are bad.
But, the primary reason for praying is our getting to know our God—through praying His word and learning to trust in Him, wait on Him, and lean on Him. This is so we develop humility, faith and dependence. This is growing in Christ. This is the maturity or completeness Epaphras was praying for.
There is not a single good reason that you can show for living without prayer —J.C. Ryle
Here are seven things from the Psalms we can pray for ourselves this week:
That we would delight in the law (word) of the Lord and be like a tree planted by water that yields fruit in season – Psalm 1
That we would be one who ascends the hill of the Lord with clean hands and a pure heart – Psalm 24
That we would guard our ways and our mouth that we might not sin with our tongue (our words) – Psalm 39
That His light and truth would lead us to His holy dwelling place – Psalm 43
That we would be washed, purified, cleaned, restored to have truth and wisdom in the innermost part – Psalm 51
That He would teach us to number our days that we may apply a heart of wisdom – Psalm 90
That He would search us, know our hearts and any wicked way – and lead us in the way everlasting – Psalm 139
Amen.
For Further Reading
until Thursday, grace and peace…