Prayer affects all aspects of our lives; therefore, Scripture admonishes us to pray without ceasing. Jesus declared, “I desire that my people commune with me. They with me and I with them.”
Communication
The primary purpose of prayer is to commune with God. Commune means to focus on Him, to converse frequently with earnest vigor, and to engage in intimate communication marked by trust and respect. Psalm 145:18 affirms this truth: “The Lord is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.”
God desires that we commune with Him regarding the plans He has for our lives. When we seek God regarding His will for the children with whom He has blessed us, we acknowledge that we are stewards of His heritage. Therefore, we commune with Him and submit to His will for their lives.
It is easy to imagine what or who we want our children to become. However, it is imperative that we pray, not my will, but “Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven.”
Jeremiah 33:3 declares, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.”
Relationship
A healthy relationship is characterized by trust, respect, and communication—all of which are essential components of communing. When we pray, we are building our relationship with God. Prayer is a two-way communication process; we speak to God, and He speaks to us. Often, however, we make the mistake of doing all the speaking and do not allow space for God to speak to us.
We must be mindful of this truth; “Except the Lord build the house, they labor in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain” (Psalm 127:1).
It is vitally important that we pray so that we may have the mind of Christ. We do not want to build according to our own will, but rather in agreement wit His.
Scripture reminds us: “Be careful for nothing; but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus” (Philippians 4:6-7).
We commune with God through various expressions of prayer—supplication, intercession, and thanksgiving, and continual fellowship. Jesus emphasized this necessity in Luke 18:1: “Men ought always to pray and not to faint.”
To fulfill the highest priority in our lives, we must be people of prayer.
Today’s devotional was written by Deirdre Gallimore and was originally printed in the Ladies Prayer International newsletter.
1 Comment
Thank you.