“Never be lacking in zeal, but keep your spiritual fervour,
serving the Lord.
Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, and faithful in prayer.”
Romans 12:11-12 (NIV)
Prayer is the way to give our hearts a voice. So, why do we often communicate with God about our heart’s desire differently from how we speak with the world? God created us with the unique ability to touch, smell, see, hear, and taste the world around us while engaging emotions such as happiness, fear, and anger. We use these blessings daily as we interact with others. Yet often, when we speak with God, we muffle or hide our desire, put on a prayer façade, use a prayer voice, and expect God to speak truth into our lives while we approach Him in disguise. Because some pray differently from how they talk, they will toil in their attempts to speak to God with the characteristics, personality and baggage that defines them.
We enter into prayer knowing that we are privileged to be granted an audience with the King of the universe. We should not confuse that privilege as a right and speak to our Father as if He needs to react to our problems because we boldly asked Him. We must recognize who is the recipient of our prayer and fear His power while, at the same time, remembering He wants to tell us His will so that we can live a life pleasing to Him. He wants us to tell Him what is on our hearts so He can share what is on His.
Many struggle with prayer because it restricts their interaction. We want to differentiate between coincidence and divine intervention. Still, if we are not in the habit of talking to God, we certainly will not be able to recognize His response. Some treat prayer as one way of communication, where they do all the talking and leave no place for listening. They have actual needs breaking their hearts and want to tell God as best as possible. However, they can feel abandoned when they can’t sense an answer. Hindsight usually reveals they said a lot to God but never gave Him a chance to speak back. Prayer requires that we practice speaking and listening, but above all, it requires faith in the fact that God answers prayers.
Prayer is a comfortable act for many, while being painfully challenging for others. We know we are speaking to the one who spoke the universe into existence, so some fear sounding shallow with their words and requests. However, we must not forget we can ask anything in Jesus’ name. The more we speak to God, the more we will be able to talk to God. Eventually, we will speak and pray about things He wants for our lives while leaving meaningless words behind.
Prayer requires remaining faithful to the act. When we commit ourselves to becoming followers of Christ, we are told we will be transformed into a new creature who can be holy and pleasing to God. Some can recognize and see instantaneous change, while others are changed over time. Why does it happen that way? Only God knows. Regardless of the quick change, we must be faithful and know God wants to be joined to us.