Pray!

Pray!

And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. “Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him. Matthew 6:7‭-‬8 NKJV

This is part of the Sermon on the mount, the first public preaching of Christ. He covered quite a number of topics, including prayer. We are talking about actual prayer here, not gossip, unhealthy desirings, or tale bearing. When I take honest stock of my life, what do I actually do? Do I pray or do I do something completely opposite of prayer?

It is never about the length of time spent talking or the volume of words spoken. Those things are not the focus of prayer. In the final analysis, prayer sure takes effort and has to involve spoken words, but they are not what gives prayer the power God set it up to be. And prayer is also not making assumptions, where I also keep quiet and claim that, after all, God knows what I need so there is no need to keep talking about the same thing over and over again.

If I am in a relationship with God, I will want to talk with Him constantly. His will is made clear in prayer; his purpose is established through prayer; his love and mercy are revealed through prayer. There are treasures in God only a faith-based conversation with God can unearth. The heathen (those who only have a head-knowledge about God) believe in many words; God thrives on relationships. That is why he is called "your Father". He is a God of absolute knowledge, who knows all we need even before we speak.

I must take advantage of the benefits of prayer. I must seek God out daily and pray His will into my daily reality. He wants to hear me speak; his hands are NOT too short to save or his ears dull of hearing. Even if it takes me 3 hours, it is a result of a love relationship, not a desire to drive up numbers. How's your connection to God? His time of favour is here.