Prayer

How do I talk to God? Well, there are a couple of important things to note first. I believe that God wants a close relationship with each one of His children. (And we are all His children, His creations.) I also believe that God already knows. There is nothing that I can share with God about myself that He doesn't already know but yet, He wants me to come to Him with my stuff.

So I go to the One who Knows me and the One who wants me close to Him with my life. Over the last few months, I have shared frustrations, confusion, and fear with Him. During my drive to & from work, I complain and explain and attempt to reason out life with God who is much more patient with me than I will ever deserve. And I tell Him that I trust Him even though I don't understand. I believe that His way is better even when I can't see how.

To me, prayer - talking with God - also includes simply listening. Being still and knowing that He is God. I have difficulty with silence - a thousand random things can suddenly float through my head at once. I'm learning that in the silence is when God speaks back to me. One of my goals for 2014 is to spend more time simply listening and simply obeying God without making things all complicated.

I love about reading through the Psalms and there is such a great example of prayer found in many of them. David expresses strong emotions - fear, anger, weakness, groaning, despair, grief. He pretty much lays it all out - "Here is what I'm dealing with now." And then he turns it all to God. Almost every Psalm ends with expressions of faith, praise, or thankfulness to the One whom David believes is bigger and stronger. I try to read a different Psalm each night and often use them as my own prayer because I so identify with them. It is a good way to end the day.