Prayer: The Heartbeat of Our Relationship with God

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We pray because we have the assurance of our association with God—or let me say it succinctly, we pray because God is affectionate towards us. God is able, God can, but God is affectionate. God cares. Listen, earlier when Jesus taught us to pray, Jesus told us to approach God not as someone who needs to curry favor with God, but as someone would as a child would approach a loving parent. Jesus taught us that we are the children of God—a God who is not a deadbeat parent but one that is able, attentive, affectionate, and available. [00:40:16] (44 seconds)  #PrayerThroughAffection

Prayer is not just a device for us to get what we want from the Lord. Prayer is actually a device that God—it gets what God wants out of us, which is the right treatment of our sisters and brothers. Prayer is what makes us tall enough to live into God's expectations of kingdom living. [00:52:48] (22 seconds)  #PrayerEmpowersForgiveness

Her grandmother tells her, baby, will you help grandma reach up there in the cabinet and bring down some bowls? And the little girl says, well, grandma, I can't. They're too tall. It's too high. It's over my head. It's beyond me. And grandma said, yes you can, baby. Go get the step stool. Can I tell you something? That's what prayer is. Prayer is the stool that lets us reach into the high things of the faith that are beyond us. [00:53:28] (41 seconds)  #KeepPrayingGodIsAble

Forgiving people that have done me wrong, that's beyond me. But through prayer, we can forgive. Loving people who despitefully use us, I know that's beyond us. But through prayer, we can love even when our heart is broken. Loving our enemies, people who oppress and abuse us, I know it's beyond us in our own strength. But through prayer, we can find a way to bless those scoundrels anyway. Being meek and humble, I know that's not our bag, it's beyond us. But through prayer, we can do it. Being faithful may be beyond us, but through prayer, we can reach it. Exercising kindness and patience may be beyond us, but through prayer, it's in reach. Yeah, yeah, being grateful and having joy may seem beyond us, but through prayer, we can have peace, even peace that passes all understanding. Joy may seem beyond us, it may seem over our heads, but through prayer, even joy is in reach. [00:54:10] (72 seconds)  #GodIsAffectionateAndAble

My kids are hilarious, they're smart little girls, and they really know at least how to manipulate their father. They found out that they can get whatever they want out of me when they remind me that I love them. They ask because they believe that their daddy can, and they ask because they know that their daddy cares. I'm a limited being, but my care drags the capacity of my can in their favor. The same is why we pray. God can, God cares, and God will give us what we need to live righteous lives for him. [01:00:21] (70 seconds)

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