There is no doubt that prayer connects us to our all-powerful, all-knowing, Almighty God. No matter our sins and past mistakes, and regardless of our conditions, if we place our trust in Him, God is willing to help us through whatever we face in life. No matter how challenging our problems and obstacles are, He alone is able to solve them. He is willing to deliver us to such a degree that we are spiritually stronger, our faith is greater, and our relationship with Him is more intimate than we ever thought it could be. He wants an intimate relationship with every individual, and He wants us to know that He’s always there for us. The problem is that many of us have a difficult time believing this; therefore, we are not meeting God’s requirement of faith.
Hebrews 11:6(NLT) tells us, “And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him.” To please our Heavenly Father, we must have faith in Him, and we must remember all that He has done for us through His Son, Jesus Christ. Having faith in God means believing that He wants the best for us, and that He’s always willing and able to help us live abundantly through Jesus Christ. Having this attitude of faith regarding the provisions and blessings of God pleases Him, and without this attitude, we cannot please Him. Without this faith in Him, we are telling God that we do not believe in who He is, and this is an offense to His throne.
Our Heavenly Father wants us to know that He is a God of love, but He doesn’t punish us for not knowing this. He tells us in Philippians 4:6(NLT), “Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done.” Prayer helps us to grow in Christ. It facilitates our Christ-like personality, and it is the gift that God has given us to know Him better. We should never let anything keep us from praying, but the reality is that many people do.
These are very difficult times we’re living in, and many people are feeling lost. They want to go to God but feel they don’t know how to pray, and they are uncertain about talking to Him. They think He isn’t listening or that He will not respond. This is never the case, but many are intimidated by the practice of prayer, and their insecurity about it hinders their faith. Our Heavenly Father doesn’t want this to happen. For individuals that are just starting to know God through the Lord Jesus Christ, God wants them to know that He is incredibly patient, kind, and loving.
No one can be in a relationship if there isn’t another individual on which to target and lavish their love. We hear it all the time, but it is very true; a relationship is a two-way street. It’s a cycle of giving and receiving all that we have to give. We must remind ourselves of these simple truths as we approach God. We are the targets of God’s affection. He created us for relationship, and He desires to have a relationship with every individual. He knows everything there is to know about us, and He wants us to know about Him as well.
God is holy, and there is no one that compares to His power, love, wisdom, and grace. He has given us prayer to build our relationship with Him. Ephesians 2:10(NLT) tells us, “For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.” Our Father acknowledges us as His finest work. He has shown His great love by giving us life and the sacrifice of Christ. So, it is only fitting that we acknowledge God for who He is and do so with the greatest reverence of which we’re capable, because this is what He deserves.
Even though we may not know much about God or His Word, we must come to Him with a humble heart that recognizes His holiness and power, and we must be open and honest with Him. Again, God knows everything there is to know about us. He knows our greatest strengths and our greatest weaknesses. He is aware of all our sin, yet, He is willing to bless us. Jesus Christ taught us in Matthew 6:8(NLT), “for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him!” God is not surprised by our dilemmas, and He knew the solutions to them long before they occurred. We must seek Him with all that we are, because this is what He tells us to do.
The earnest reverence of God, being humble, honest, and open; and ending our prayers in the powerful name of Jesus Christ, these will produce an environment of prayer for those new to the faith, and for those of us that have been on this Christian journey a while. As we grow in faith and spiritual maturity, the intimacy we share with Heavenly Father should deepen and so should our prayer lives. ■
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Wheaton, Illinois 60189. All rights reserved.
“God Is Willing and Able to Bless Us”, written for Springfield Fellowship © 2022. All rights reserved. All praise and honor to God through Jesus Christ, our Lord and Savior.