When asked if they pray, many people will say they do. Yet, when asked what area of their spiritual life is lacking, they say prayer. People are saying they are praying but they aren’t praying well. So, what is wrong?
Read 1 Peter 5:6-7
Prayer is how we get to communicate with the Creator of the Universe. God makes Himself available to hear from us and when He responds, He reveals much about His character and ours. As we share our emotions and thoughts with God in prayer, we can be convicted, enlightened, or even blessed. When we have meaningful and intimate conversations with God a relationship blossoms and we begin to understand God’s plan for humanity and even our purpose in His plan.
God allows us to experience His creation through emotions and senses. He connected with Adam and Eve in a very intimate manner setting the precedence for future relationship building. His spirit was definably with them in the garden. Genesis implies face-to-face encounters also occurred. During their interactions, Adam and Eve’s body language and words revealed their emotions to God just as His presence revealed something about His love and concern for them. God taught that real connection, that leads to relationships, stems from verbal communication and face-to-face contact. Although communication changed after the incident in the garden, God continued to pursue His creation and taught us we can remain connected to Him if we are willing to talk and listen.
If we asked someone to share their status using 140 characters or less, a surprisingly high number of people will be able to do that. They can create a short, sweet, to the point statement about how they are feeling, what they are doing and so on. People can do this because this is how we communicate in the world today. We post updates using tweets, pictures, and emoticons. However, these do little to create closeness. It’s tough to grasp an understanding of an individual based on updates. Studies have suggested that it is difficult, if not impossible, to develop a meaningful relationship with someone using 140 or less characters. Yet, people continue to hide behind their smartphones and tablets while seemingly having little time for face-to-face social encounters. Many believe they are socially connected yet studies reveal that despite the number and variety of social media tools available to us, more people are feeling isolated and lonely.
God wants to hear from us. He does not want updates. He want to know our heart. He wants to hear our passions. He wants to hear our pain. He wants to hear our confessions. He wants us to listen. He wants us to know Him. He wants us to grow in faith and worship.We can’t share who we are or what we truly desire in 140 characters or less and God can’t help us if we can’t connect.
It any wonder why people struggle to pray? People are losing their ability to connect to the world around them. They are unintentionally isolating themselves and are dependant on instantaneous, short, communication bites to express their thoughts and feelings. This does not allow for depth, understanding or intimacy. Prayer connects us with God who wants a real, two-way conversation with us. Prayer starts and grows relationships but the relationship God desires takes time, emotion, and surrendering our self before Him. Prayer keeps the connection alive and real. It requires more than a few happy faces, single word thoughts, or LIKEs. It requires our whole being to properly connect with the Supreme Being, God.