Daddy!
Daddy!
“Daddy!”
As a father of nine children this is a familiar sound for me. It is especially joyous to hear the excited shouts when I come home after being out, whether for work or some other reason. No matter how difficult the day may have been it lifts my heart to know that my children are happy that I am home. They are excited to see my face. They want to spend some time with me.
It is also a humbling experience. It strikes me that this joy may not last forever. My children are still relatively young. The likelihood that all of them will continue to express such exuberant joy at my returning home all throughout their teenage and young adult years is doubtful. Maybe they will. I guess we’ll see.
Convicted By Joy
There is another reason this is humbling. I see the excitement that my children have to see me. I’m their earthly father. At the same time, I know that God's children are not always this excited to spend time with their heavenly Father. I know that this is a fact. To find confirmation, I don't need to look any further than in the mirror. I’ve been guilty on more than one occasion.
How can this be? Why do we lose the excitement of knowing that God has reconciled us to Himself through Christ? Why should we lose the awe in knowing that our heavenly Father loves us and paid a tremendous price so that we could have the privilege of boldly entering into His presence and spending time with Him in prayer? How can this ever get old?
In theory, it shouldn’t. In practice? Well, I’ll let you wrestle with that one on your own.
When I see the joy that my young children express toward me, it convicts me. I want to maintain and protect that same level of excitement toward my heavenly Father. I pray that you do, too.
The Importance of Persisting in Prayer
It is my opinion that our prayer lives are a fairly accurate measure of our spiritual health in general. Are we excited to pray without ceasing and to live in the presence of our holy God?
As I've been in ministry for the past decade or so, I've learned two things again and again:
Prayer is important and necessary.
Prayer is easy to drift from.
Maybe you can't relate. Perhaps you exemplify the scriptural command to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17).
I wish I did. But I don't. Not always. Some seasons are definitely more filled with prayer than others.
Studying the Scriptures comes easily to me. It's how I'm wired. Most people who know me know that some of my best relationships are with books!
However, I know I should never settle for simply knowing about God when He has so graciously invited me to know Him. Don't get me wrong. Reading the Bible is a wonderful blessing. It is a blessing that directs us to the Living God Himself. Knowing the Scriptures should enrich our prayer lives. But it can't replace it.
Fortunately, the Lord consistently draws me back to Himself. Recently, I have been enjoying a renewed sense of urgency and joy in spending time with our Father in prayer.
What about you? How is your prayer life? Do you rejoice to spend unhurried time with your God?
Today is the Day that the Lord Has Made
If this is a dry season in your prayer life, be encouraged. There is no better time than today to get back on track. It has been said well and often that the best way to learn how to pray is by praying. There are many methods and models of prayer. Let me suggest that the best way to pray is in line with who you are. Pray in a way that comes relatively naturally to you.
If you hate to write, then journaling is probably not for you… even if this is a great method for others. Attempting to pray in ways that are completely contrary to the way you are built is a good recipe for disappointment. It's a surefire way to ensure that your season of devoted prayer will be short-lived.
All of my children want to spend time with me. They don't all want to spend it with me in the exact same ways. If you are a Christian, then your heavenly Father made it possible for you to enjoy Him both in this life and the life to come. For me, spending quiet time alone and praying while walking provide great times of fellowship with me and our Father.
There are many biblical examples of how others have prayed. The most important thing to realize is not how they prayed but that they prayed. There are certain priorities that Jesus taught and which we find in the prayers recorded in Scripture. However, prayer is more about a relationship with God than it is about reciting formulaic phrases.
Let that lift your spirit and encourage you to take full advantage of your opportunity today. Then, again tomorrow. Learn to pray by praying. If you already are a prayer warrior, then consider encouraging others you know by sharing how the Lord has worked in your life to bring you where you are today.
Feel free to share encouragements and thoughts on prayer in the comments. Be blessed as you walk with the living God today!
Related Video Content
You may enjoy these related videos from our YouTube page. If you like them, don’t forget to like and subscribe!