HOW DO YOU COMMUNICATE WITH THE LORD?

SCRIPTURE:
“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, 
believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.”  
(Mark 11:24)

MEDITATION:
Remember when you were young and the Christmas season was almost here?
You looked forward to giving Santa your list of the presents you wanted.
In your heart, you just knew that if you could get your list to him, 
on Christmas morning you could expect the things you requested.
Sometimes you were afraid you would not get what you wanted, 
because you had not been good for the entire year since last Christmas.

Some people consider praying to the Lord 
and making their petitions to Santa as similar.
When we pray to the Lord, it is entirely different than giving Santa a wish list.
Praying is the way we communicate with the Lord.
He has given us this venue so that we can thank Him for our blessings,
ask for guidance, and voice our concerns for others and ourselves.

At times our prayers may seem like a wish list, but when we ask for things within 
God’s Will, it means that we trust Him to answer our prayers with what we need.
His answers may be different than what we prayed for, but we can 
be assured that His answers are exactly what will benefit us the most.
That is how a loving God responds to those who are His adopted children.

We should pray in times of adversity, to avoid becoming faithless and unbelieving.
We should pray in times of prosperity, to avoid becoming boastful and proud.
We should pray in times of danger, to avoid becoming fearful and doubtful.
We should pray when we feel secure, to avoid becoming self-sufficient.

Sinners should pray to a merciful God for forgiveness and salvation.
Christians should pray for an outpouring of God’s Spirit 
on an evil and unrepentant world.
Parents should pray that God will bless their home with grace and mercy, 
and that the Lord will reign in their home.
Children should pray for the salvation of their parents 
who are their umbrella of protection and a conduit for God’s guidance.
All believers should pray intercessory prayers for others.

ACTION:
Do you have an active prayer life?
Is prayer a high priority for you?
Do you communicate with the Lord every day?
Do you pray unselfishly for things within God’s Will?
Do you pray for others?
Do you thank the Lord for how He has blessed you?
Do you ask God to assist you with making decisions?

Pray,
“Heavenly Father, thank You for Your wonderful gift of prayer. 
Through prayer I can communicate directly with You without the 
need of an intermediary. Convict me if my prayers are inappropriate 
and teach me to make my petitions within Your Will. Help me to 
never forget that when I pray, You hear me regardless if I feel that 
my prayers are not making it past my ceiling. Thank You for answering 
my prayers with what I need, which may not be what I prefer. I know 
that Your answers are best for me and the ones for whom I pray.”