Hey friends, how are you today? Happy first day of spring! For some of us spring came rather early, usually winter delays spring’s arrival by a few months.  This year though, the Lord decided that it’s only fair that spring encroach on winter’s time for a change.   Although even I as I write this, there is fresh snow covering the ground.  The temperature currently stands at 28° and more snow is expected throughout the day.   But in all this, we give thanks, right? How are you? How was your week?

WHAT IS PRAYER?

Lately in our Ladies’ Sunday school class, we’ve been talking about prayer.  Each class brings vibrant, beautiful discourse on the wonder of prayer.  Initially, we began with the definition of prayer.  What is prayer? We’ve been told, prayer is taking TO God, but we arrived at the conclusion that rather prayer is talking WITH God.  Prayer is a conversation between God and His people.   

IT IS A DIALOGUE BETWEEN GOD AND HIS CHILD

Prayer is communing with God.  Prayer listens and prayer speaks.  When we first meet new people, usually we take the time to know them.  Sometimes that knowledge comes from others, and it also comes from spending time with them. We talk with them, and we also listen to them.  Listening tells us a lot about them.  And the same thing happens with prayer.  We speak and our Lord listens and He speaks, and we listen.   Since it is impossible for our God to learn anything, (we are created by Him, in His image) this implies that this time of discourse involves my learning.  

IT IS A TIME OF KNOWING

This time with the Lord, begins to answer the questions that I didn’t know, I needed the answers to; questions such as: who am I? Where am I going? How do I get there? Who are YOU? What do You want from me? This time shows the struggle between how I want these questions answered and how they should be answered.  

IT IS A TIME OF SHARING

Prayer is about me and God, it is between me and my God.  Even in a crowd, my speech is directed to only ONE.   I speak to ONE and most times, ONE speaks back to me.   Prayer is personal, its involvement needs just two.  And that’s good.  I tell our girls all the time, God is the best Secret-Keeper. 

IT IS A TIME OF QUESTIONING

For prayer to be truly effective, I must be willing to know about the God it involves. Is He trustworthy? Is He really listening? What will He do with what I’ve told Him? Are my words just bouncing off the ceiling? If there isn’t any physical proof of answered prayer, how do I know there was an answer? Do I matter to Him? Do my words matter to Him? That’s why prayer is a two-way communication.  It demands that I get the know the One to Whom my prayers are directed. 

IT IS A TIME OF EMOTIONS

That knowledge is found in His Word.  The Word of God must form part of our prayer life or else there will remain too many unanswered questions.  If I’m the only one talking and rarely take the time to listen, during the times of what is seemingly silence, discouragement, depression, disappointment, and disbelief will soon follow.   

IT IS A TIME FOR TWO

It is inevitable because one sided prayer cannot be sustained.  It needs two.  Because He will not say ‘yes’ to all requests, our need for answers is found in His Word.  We take the time to study and memorize His Word because it gives us an insight into the very character of our God.  

IT IS A TIME TO LET GO

Because I know I am loved completely, I can bring (what others may term) the insignificant and it all matters to Him, because I am His child, and He loves me.   I bring the very significant and it matters to Him, because I am His child and I matter to Him. I know that because the Bible tells me so.  And the Bible is His Word so therefore He told me so.     

IT IS A TIME TO LISTEN

I bring before Him, those circumstances, and those people whose needs require the impossible.  I talk to Him about these impossibilities because I know He can do something with nothing.  He is my Miracle-Worker.  I know that because the Bible tells me so, and the Bible is His Word, so He told me so. 

IT IS A TIME TO SPEAK

As I get to know Him more and more, my speech pattern changes along with the knowledge I’ve gained about Him.  These changes are only one-sided because He already knows everything there is to know.  He cannot learn.  As I learn about Him, as I learn about me, I change and so therefore, my speech also changes.   There is more assurance and confidence when we talk, I am not so timid, not so fearful anymore.  The knowledge of Him brings these changes.  My desires, my wants, those things I thought I absolutely could not do without, are no longer necessary.  

IT IS A TIME OF LEARNING

Throughout our conversations, I’ve learnt of His Might, of His Power, of His Strength.  I’ve learnt about His Goodness, His Grace, and His Mercy.  I’ve learnt about His Compassion and His Patience.  Throughout our conversations, He has shown me that on most occasions the invisible attributes matter more than the visible, so I should place more emphasis on what only He sees.  

IT IS A TIME OF MATURING

Throughout our conversations, I’ve leant that if it matters to Him, it is in my best interest for it to matter to me too.  He has taught me along the way, that when I’ve talked to Him about something, then only what He has called me to do, is the only thing I should do.  I’ve learnt when I do more or less, when I manipulate the chess pieces to bring about a positive response to my desire, the end result usually brings about uncertainty and most times negative consequences.  

IT IS A TIME OF SURRENDER

During our conversations, I’ve learnt that when I seek forgiveness for times, I thought I knew better, for the times, when I did what I wanted, for the times, I went my way rather than His, He freely gave me that forgiveness.  He withholds no good thing from me.  

YOUR TURN

I’ve learnt He is good; He is trustworthy.  What have you learnt during Your conversations with the Lord? 

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