Some thoughts on prayer to end the week…

First off…nothing like a really unoriginal title to grab your attention, right?

But it’s Friday and I actually had a productive week around this house so I am going to get right to the point.

As I went through the mail this week, I found a booklet of coupons from Kroger. It was like a miniature slick magazine with pretty pictures. Each page featured a mini-ad for the product and then the coupon.

Every single one was for something we use.

Right down to the brand of product, whether store or brand-label that we purchase for that item.

And then it hit me.

Of course it is.

Through our “shopper card”, the company knows exactly what we buy and they tailor made a book for us to ensure that we would return to their store asap to…er… save money.

And sometimes I have to be honest.

I want God to do that for me with my prayers.

I show up daily with my prayer list.

I rattle off what I want.

I hope, dream, and even expect Him to provide a world where all the things I want will arrive in a pretty package suited 100% to my tastes and liking.

And that is not at all what prayer is about.

In My Utmost for His Highest this morning, Oswald Chambers writes:

We look upon prayer simply as a means of getting things for ourselves, but the biblical purpose of prayer is that we may get to know God Himself.”   August 28

I am not knocking prayer lists, nor repeated prayers for situations.

But I know that I can begin to default to rote prayers when answers are long in coming.

And it is good to remember that prayer is not just me asking for things (even good and right and wonderful right-in-the-heart-of-God things).

Prayer is communication and communication is talking and listening and asking and answering.

It’s hard work to build relationship.

As I go to God and converse instead of just ask, I get to know more about Him and He reveals more about me then just the thing I think I want to happen.

And that is what prayer is…

me coming to meet with the God who KNOWS me

SEES me

MADE me

SAVED me

and getting to KNOW HIM.

So I hope and …yes…pray…that each of us will do the work of prayer…taking time to be honest and real before God.

I encourage you to be intentional in entering His Presence to know Him and to have understanding of His heart for you in the midst of your circumstances.

God bless you today as you quiet your heart and seek His company <3