Prayer as Daily Conversation: Growing Intimacy with God

See, there's power in prayer to reshape our minds, reshape our hearts, and make us new. And thank goodness that king David has written so many songs for us to read in scriptures that see that show every single type of emotion that you and I can go through because sometimes we need to just lament, and sometimes we need to leap and praise God, you know, for joy. And so these are not just songs, but they're words from his heart straight to the Lord, and we can rejoice and sing and say these words as prayers, as communication just straight to him. [01:08:42] (44 seconds)  #PsalmsAsPrayer

She knew that she needed the power of Jesus in her life and in the other lives around her, especially her daughters. So she prayed, and she sought, and she persisted after him. And she got down on her knees right before him and prayed so fervently that Jesus commended her on her faith, and her simple yet powerful prayer healed her daughter. Our prayers don't need to be complicated, but full of faith in the one who hears us. [01:05:22] (41 seconds)  #SimpleFaithHeals

You know, even as Jesus was on the cross, he was enduring the the cost of the greatest sacrifice for us. He continued even in that deepest, darkest moment, that deep connection with God even until death. And he continued to open up his heart and keep his eyes on his father in heaven as those who were before him, hurting him, mocking, trying to end him, and he looked upon them with compassion and kindness. A model for us to bring to the Lord those who have hurt us. [01:09:41] (48 seconds)  #CompassionLikeJesus

See, I didn't really know sometimes the words to say in those moments of fear when it's gripping, but I was able to use scripture and use things that people have gone through before me. And that helped me speak directly to the Lord and the things that were on my heart and bring a peace in a kind of way, and I could hear God speaking back to me. Yes. I'm your peacemaker. Yes. I'm the one who keeps you safe. Yes. I'm the one watching over you. You can lie down. [01:08:00] (42 seconds)  #ScriptureBringsPeace

This is very life changing, and God wants all of us to experience his forgiveness as we pray for it, and then asking for strength to even forgive other people. Because when we do that, we start sharing the blessing of God that we've experienced to the world around us, and then they get to experience too who God is and the fullness of forgiveness that he has to offer them. So remember that he forgives us, so we must go and forgive those around us also. [01:21:38] (39 seconds)  #PassOnForgiveness

you know, when we bring to God our daily needs, our deepest struggles, and we're so searching while in God's presence, and we're releasing our fears and our concerns and our hopes and our desires and everything that's in our hearts, and we are trusting that God is going to provide us exactly what we are needing day by day. In fact, he reminds us, do not worry about tomorrow because today has enough cares of its own. Right? So he's gonna provide for us, and we're gonna acknowledge that even in our prayer life. [01:20:25] (39 seconds)  #TrustGodDaily

through their praying and through their talking and their connection and their communication together. He didn't release him from it even though he said, if there's any way, any other way. But instead, God came and strengthened him. And sometimes, maybe today, God isn't releasing you from something in your life, but instead, he's hearing you, he's with you, and he's alongside you, strengthening you just in this moment. [01:16:50] (40 seconds)  #StrengthInTheStruggle

You know, I had come across a verse as I was reading Psalms one night when I was really, really scared, and I just really needed to find some comfort. And there it was. It said, I will lie down and sleep in peace, for you alone, oh Lord, will keep me safe. And so I took that verse, and I wrote it down on a little sticky note. I love sticky notes. So I wrote it on a sticky note, and I was in bed like this, and I stuck it on the wall right there, so when I turned, I could see see it right there in my eyes. [01:06:44] (39 seconds)  #SleepInGodsPeace

Here, Paul is leading the church to pray, to understand, to get to know who God is more fully. And in order to do that, we must be attentive to his spirit and his presence within us, leading us and teaching us in wisdom and in guidance. You know, really, it's really incredible that this almighty God, this wonderful God who's over all of creation would even impart that upon us when we stop and we listen to his voice. [00:57:06] (40 seconds)  #AttentiveToTheSpirit

See, there was this woman who knew that the Lord could help her in ways that she couldn't do. You see, she had a daughter who was very, very sick, and she knew that she couldn't help her daughter anymore. Only Jesus could. So even though she was a Cana, she was a stranger, she wasn't really wanted in this land at all, She still went to Jesus, the one that she knew she could trust, who could do anything. [01:04:48] (34 seconds)  #DesperateFaithFindsJesus

And every single night, I would look at it, and I would go read it. I can lie down and sleep in peace for you alone. I just started saying these words over and over until they became a prayer for my life. Yes. Lord, I can lie down. You're my peacemaker. You'll keep me safe. And he reminded me, yes, you can trust me. I'm gonna keep you safe. And he started responding to me, lie down. [01:07:23] (33 seconds)  #PrayingThePsalm

In order to really talk to God and have that intimate relationship with him, it doesn't work if you don't have a relationship with him to even start with. If you are feeling that tug right now, that voice saying, child, come to me right now. Let's start that relationship. Let's invite him in. The scripture says, I stand at the door and knock, and if anyone answers, I will dine with them. And, you know, he just wants to come and be with you. [01:25:00] (37 seconds)  #InviteJesusIn

That is what he does when we talk to him. When we tell him, I've done wrong before you and against you. He says, I will forgive you, and I'll give you a new life right now in this place if that is you. If you wanna invite him in today, just raise your hand, declare to him, ask him, Lord Jesus, I want you in my life. That same relationship that Moses, that Jesus, that Abraham, that David, Hannah have had before us. If you want him in your heart today, if you want that new life with him where you can talk freely to him, Just raise your hand. Just invite him in. [01:25:47] (49 seconds)  #ClaimNewLifeInChrist

You know, when we start to get to know him, it's a little awkward at first, but then as we start to get to know him, we wanna just talk and talk and talk and talk and talk and talk to him. And sometimes he's like, hey, I want to get a word in here too, you know, and that's probably with me. And I don't know if anyone else can relate, you talkers, but but what better way than to just go into scripture to find examples of how to pray? [00:50:47] (33 seconds)  #LearnToPrayFromScripture

Paul is encouraging the church to continue to see what God is doing. So don't give up. Even when we start to grow weary and we're not sure if God is even hearing us or if he's going to even answer us, don't give up. You know, in this verse, it has the word devote in it, and devote means to give all or a large portion of one's time or resource. Well, we have a lot of resource of air. Correct? And so that means we can just keep talking. [01:00:23] (38 seconds)  #PersevereInPrayer

But here's the thing, Prayer is just communication. That's all it is. I'm communicating to you right now, just talking, and you guys communicate to each other all the time. Sometimes it's through looks. Yeah. You know what I mean. And sometimes it's through our words or even our actions, and prayer is just that. It is communication between us and God. It's not just about all of these making requests or confessing sins or simply connecting with God and worship and adoration, which it is all of those things, but really, [00:49:12] (38 seconds)  #PrayerIsConversation

You know, he and the Lord were like this, super, super close. And in fact, when we look at his life and his relationship with the Lord, it is one of the most intimate relationships that we see in all of scripture. You see, we even see him talking to God, and he goes, why have you put these people out in front of me? I would rather die than lead these people. You know, I mean, he's that honest. [00:52:00] (29 seconds)  #IntimateWithGod

Yes. Sandwiched with praise at the beginning and at the end, we are acknowledging God and his ways that are good and holy and they're eternal, and we acknowledge that he has all the power, and he alone is worthy of all of our praise, and this shows our dependence upon him. Thankfulness for all that he has provided, and a reminder that we should seek joyfully in prayer. All of heaven gives her praise to God, and we can join in on this heavenly song here on earth. [01:23:38] (40 seconds)  #JoinHeavenlyPraise

You know, she was a woman who had just poured out her heart and expressed a deep love and faith in God, and she was a broken woman who had just desired so deeply to have a child. I know that there's probably many of us in here that have been in that same situation where we so deeply long for something. Maybe it's just like Hannah where it was a child, or maybe it's a job, or a friend, or a spouse, and we have just cried over and over and over to the Lord. [01:02:36] (41 seconds)  #PourOutYourHeart

going to him, and we see Jesus going to God in the desert when he was being tempted because he got strengthened in those moments, and we can trust that he is going to strengthen us too. So let's talk to him, and let's ask him for that wisdom. [01:23:03] (22 seconds)  #AskGodForWisdom