Hotline to Heaven
Prayer, it, is an important part in the life of a Christian. It is the way we communicate with our Heavenly Father. Prayer should also be something we do throughout the day. Many people may think that when you pray and end with “Amen,” you conclude your conversation with God. Like hanging up the phone after a conversation. But the great thing is that we can always keep this ‘telephone line’ open. Every day, every moment, for the rest of our lives, we can keep this phone conversation going with our Heavenly Father, and we never have to “hang up.” This is also God’s desire, that we involve Him in everything, every moment of the day. From deciding which house to live in, which job to take, advice on raising our children, who will be your life partner, to the little things in life; finding your keys, whether to turn left or right or what you are going to eat that evening. He wants to be a part of our lives in everything. God is a God of details and of relationship; what is important to us is also important to Him. Our God wants to answer our prayers. He is a loving Father, a Father who wants your happiness and not your unhappiness (Jeremiah 29:11), a Father who wants to give you the desires of your heart (Psalm 37:4) and life in abundance (John 10 :10). “Take delight in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”- Psalm 37:4 Power of prayer In this way, I have also experienced the goodness of God and what it is like to persevere in prayer. Because while God is a good Father and wants to give you all your heart’s desires, He also protects you when the things you desire and pray for may not be good for you or in line with His plan for your life. Not because He requires us to do His will, but simply because His will is the best and most beautiful for us. It is a place where all our gifts and talents are at their best, and He gets all the honor and glory. A place where people can see His greatness, love and faithfulness through us, and He is glorified. A place in which the Body of Christ is increasingly gaining the upper hand in this world, and we can help build that. It is a life in all its fullness, to which we are destined. By staying close to Him and keeping that “telephone line” open, you will increasingly recognize and understand His voice and direction. This may take some “training” but like any relationship, everything needs to grow; trust and getting to know each other. Every good father, who loves his children and wants the best for them, will want to give his children the very best. And if the children asked for a loaf of bread, he would not give them a stone (Matthew 7:9), how much more will our Father in heaven bless us. Our God responds to prayer (1 John 5:14-15, Matthew 21:22, Matthew 7:7) and we may make all things known to Him and come to Him as children (Matthew 18:2-5). When we pray in line with His will and put His Kingdom first, He will answer those prayers. Discovering whether what we are praying for is in line with His will is by spending time in the Word and getting to know His character. No, Slow, Grow…or GO! I have learned that God ALWAYS answers our prayers. Sometimes you hear people say “I prayed, but God didn’t answer”, My own experience is “God did answer, but you didn’t listen 😉”, sorry to burst your bubble. My own experience is that there can be at least four answers; “No, Slow, Grow…or GO”! We sometimes want to see the things we pray for happen immediately or receive an answer. When that does not happen immediately, or we simply miss the answer, we think that God has not answered or is not willing or able to give us what we are praying for. Doubts can arise whether we are doing it right or whether we have missed something. This can result in us giving up or letting go of our prayers and dreams. We also live in a time and society where everything happens in an instant. Do you need something? Search for two seconds on the internet, place an order, and it will be on your doorstep the next day. If you want something quick to eat, pop it in the microwave and have a meal on the table within a few minutes. Everyone is immediately accessible because everyone has a mobile phone, no matter how crazy you think it is, it is available. But our God is not of this world, and His ways are not our ways (Isaiah 55:8-9) and He is outside of time (Ecclesiastes 3:11). So when we pray for something, we may have to wait months or years for it. Look at the many stories from the Bible, for example, Abraham and Sarah, Joseph, King David and many others. “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end” – Ecclesiastes 3:11 This wait can be due to so many factors, and sometimes it doesn’t even matter whether you know or understand those reasons; what matters is whether you can let go of possible answers to your “why” or “when” questions and trust God and His perfect timing. You may get a “No”, in which case you can be grateful for His protection, and you can rest in the fact that He has something much better and more beautiful for you. Maybe you get a “Slow”, then it is not yet the time. Then listen to His gentle voice and guidance on what you may learn or do