In the South especially, we all know it’s important to pray before we eat and before we go to sleep. We sing, “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food, by His hands, we are fed, give us Lord our daily bread, Amen," out of habit. We sit in church and half-listen to the preacher pray while thinking of what we are going to eat for lunch (I am especially guilty of this one), but God doesn’t want prayer just to be a routine practiced twice a day, on Sunday and when you want or need something. God loves us, so he wants to hear from us all the time. Prayer is our way to communicate with God. When you love someone, don’t you want to talk to them all the time? Think about it: your best friend would most likely be angry if you just called on him/her when you needed something. They want you to talk to them about the good and the bad, just like God.
Sometimes we give up on praying because it feels like God isn’t listening, but He is. Everything might not work out the way we want, or in our timing, but your voice is being heard.
Last week, I was working with a new employee and she charged a customer for the wrong amount of money. She was basically in tears about it and couldn’t stop worrying. A few minutes later, the phone rang, and she answered it. I didn’t know what the caller on the other end was saying, but her face lit up with disbelief. I asked her what just happened, and she told me that a customer she had just met a few weeks ago called her. The customer said that she was praying and felt like God was telling her to call, and let my coworker know not worry about the little things. My coworker went on to tell me that she had been praying for God to help her with the anxiety she faces. We both almost couldn't hold back the tears in that moment because we could just feel God’s presence in the situation.
A few nights ago, I was ready to go to bed and began praying. All of a sudden, I got this urge to text one of my old friends and tell her that everything is going to be OK. I felt really weird because I had not talked to this person in about a year, but I went with it. She responded by telling me that she just found out that two of her relatives have cancer, and it made her whole night receiving the message.
Prayer is powerful, and God wants to be a part of our lives. You can literally talk to Him anytime. Talk to Him before making decisions. Talk to Him when you are having a bad day. Talk to Him when you are having a good day. Thank Him. Don’t make praying something you do out of habit, or just because you have to in church. Use prayer as way of having an intimate relationship with the one who created you, and it will change your life.
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“Then you will call on me and come pray to me, and I will listen to you.”
-- Jeremiah 29:12
