The other night we had a few of our grandsons over for dinner. Gathered around spaghetti and brownies, we had a conversation about prayer. Two of the little guys, both age 7, reflected on prayer being something you do at key times during the day: before meals, bedtime prayers, etc. But I was absolutely thrilled with the insights of our 12-year-old grandson, who commented that prayer was something you could carry on in your heart, silently, all day long. Wow! He gets it.
As I’ve been thinking about the prayer life we are called to live, my mind went to Psalm 55:22, “Cast your cares on the LORD and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous be shaken.”
Often when we’ve considered this verse, we’ve acknowledged that we are to take our problems to the Lord. We’ve somehow adopted the view that prayer is for problem-solving. While prayer is a wonderful opportunity to take our problems and concerns to God, it is so much more.
We were designed for an intimate relationship with God. His desire is a deep friendship with us. Think about it; do you only talk about your problems with your friends? Likely not. That would make you a “Debbie Downer” to your friends. Friendship is about enjoying life together. The highs and the lows.
God wants us to walk and talk with Him in deep friendship. He invites us to carry on a continual conversation with Him.
If you’ve never thought of prayer in this way, begin with the Lord’s Prayer. Jesus taught His disciples to pray like this:
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
as we also have forgiven our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from evil.
Matthew 6:9-13
Then most of us add the benediction, “for yours is the kingdom, the power, and the glory forever, Amen.” Rather than just some strict pattern for prayer, this prayer invites us to intimacy with God. It invites us to know God as a loving Father, one who is to be worshipped and adored It invites us to surrender to His will and to ask audaciously for whatever we need. It invites us to learn to forgive with Jesus as our guide and teaches us how to walk in victory. Above all, it teaches us that we can walk and talk with God in deep intimacy.
Remember Adam and Eve in the garden. They walked and talked with God (Genesis 3:8). This was before sin or problems had even entered the world. Don’t you wonder what they talked about? It’s such a beautiful picture of the intimate friendship God wants to have with us.
Lord Jesus, thank You for the gift of prayer. Reshape my thinking about prayer so that I begin to understand that You desire intimate friendship with me. Help me to begin to carry on a continual conversation with You throughout my day. Remind me to share with You the highs as well as the lows as I live this life. Thank you for inviting me into an intimate friendship with You!
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