Praying is a meaningful practice to get closer to God, but what happens when the words don't come? Sometimes, when I'm praying, God seems far away, and at other times he's here beside me, holding me and encouraging me. So why do I think he's far away sometimes?
As with everything in this life I'm living, I've come to realise I'm keeping some part of myself back from him. This is an unconscious action, but what that tells me is I'm not tuned in to the Holy Spirit. I'm allowing my ego to take over instead of trusting the Holy Spirit as the guiding force in me. When this happens my prayer is forced, disconnected and frustrating.
When I'm in tune with my spirit, I hear God speaking. He comes as a gentle voice, a prompt that says something like "not that way, try this way". By listening to this small voice I free up the kinks in the link between God and me. He only wants what's good for me. When I'm tuned to his will for my life, I can achieve more than I would normally do under my own steam. Through obedience, I've found I'm drawing closer to God and through that relationship, I'm learning the purpose he has for my life. The spin-off from this is a deeper connection in the relationships with people I meet every day.
So prayer for me is fundamental in making the connection with God at that extraordinary deep level he wants to be with us. Prayer starts a relationship with God. As I continue it becomes a trickle that grows to an ocean where it washes my spirit, calming and nurturing it, until I become compliant for God so he can use me for his purposes.
By taking the time to pray in a private place where I won't be disturbed, I ask my heavenly Father for his guidance. My Father already knows what I need before I ask him. Sometimes the words tumble out unceasingly and become a jumble of meaningless words, but he doesn't want to hear that. He wants to hear the words of my heart, to know what the deep concerns are, but he also wants me to keep it simple. We're instructed in Matthew 6:5-15 NIV to pray as follows:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
Forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one."
Next time you're praying and you can't find the right words, pray the above prayer, because this is how Jesus teaches us to pray in the Bible. God hears this prayer, and he will answer according to His will and purpose for your life. No fancy words--a simple prayer is enough to connect with him in a powerful and meaningful way. Try it today and see his power in your life.
Leave a reply below and tell me about how He's worked in your life today.