Pastor's Page

18th April 2007 - Prayer matters!

There are a number of aspects of the Christian life that are under-estimated, and none more than prayer. It can bring many different experiences from one of awe to one of humbling, from one of sorrow to one of joy, from one of hopelessness to one of hope. Prayer is an essential part of the Christian way of life as it it beings us in to communion with God. Now I don't want this to sound flippant or twee as prayer along with God's Word, the Bible, are the most important things in learning about our heavenly Father and our saviour, Jesus Christ.

The surprising thing is that it can be the most neglected part of the Christian way of life! Our means to listen to and talk with the creator of the universe, who knows the very number of hairs on our heads, and who takes joy in watching us grow, is often neglected as we accept that the sermon on Sunday is all we need to hear from God. We find our busyness squeezes out any time we may have planned to prayer. If this sounds familiar, I recommend reading Bill Hybels' book "Too busy NOT to pray!"

The truth of the matter is that God loves to listen to us and to talk to us, just like a parent listens to a child talk about their day and their thoughts and troubles. We neglect to share our inner most thoughts with God relying on the fact that He is all-knowing and so knows our thoughts. We cannot have a relationship with anyone without communication, and the same is with God. We cannot get to know Him and know what he has for us unless we take time to communicate with Him.

There is a misconception that prayers must be full of "Thee's and thou's", be of length and must be said on one's knees for God to take them seriously. Our heavenly Father just wants us to talk to him in our own language, sharing our thoughts, our concerns, our aspirations, our love for Him, our praise for who He is, and our thanks for His son Jesus who died on the cross for us. Jesus made it very clear that it is what is on your heart that is more important than what comes out of your mouth. And we can have a conversation with God just the same as with a friend or parent.

Sometimes, I find it hard to put my feelings into words, so I sometimes use prayers written by other people, I may use a Service Book if I find something appropriate. Sometimes, I just can't find the words to say, so I meditate on what God means to me, and think of all the things He has done for me. Soon, I find myself praising God in prayer, or reciting a Psalm.

I suggest you try it, whether sitting at home, in the garden or in a traffic jam on the way to/from work. Talk to your heavenly Father as you would to a friend, and you will soon find yourself in the presence of the Most High God. It is a humbling experience, but one that sets you in awe of what He can do for you!

As you share your thoughts and anxieties, take time to allow Him to talk to you. It may be through a picture, a vision, a verse or two of scripture ... just leave time for God to talk back. Communication is a two-way thing! Let me know how you get on!

Peter

Pastor

Copyright © 2008 Studley Baptist Church. All rights reserved.
Last modified: 05 May, 2008