Your Time with God is the Most Important Time of Your Day!
As Christians, we all struggle with our relationship with God, our creator.
Many things in our lives get in the way, work, and family, and when we have time we are too tired to pray or read scripture.
Many of us have those very challenges and many do not.
When God entered the world in Christ, the world was changed in profound ways. Many of those changes we are yet to know and will only learn about when we stand face-to-face with Christ.
Life is short, very short!
You or I may die tomorrow.
We must be in communion with our Lord every day!
But how?
We all have the need to pray but many of us find it to daunting or we feel inadequate. Yet we all will prioritize sports, entertainment, and sinful behaviors over prayer.
Our lives move quickly as we use the time gifted to us for sin and folly.
We must ALL prioritize prayer, a time of confession, and reading scripture. In our culture today we must also deny ourselves exposure to pursuits that are foolish and sinful.
Our chronic lack of prayer makes the statement that we are sufficient in life and have no need of God. We grieve God for your persistent self-sufficiency.
Hebrews 11:6
6 And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who seek him.
Here are a few suggestions for your time of prayer and worship:
First approach the Throne of Grace in the name of Christ. My wife and I in our morning prayer confess our sins in silence (1 John 1:9) and follow that with the Lord's Prayer. That way we do not try to speak to God with unconfessed sins.
Ephesians 1:6
6 to the praise of his glorious grace, with which he has blessed us in the Beloved.
We speak to God the Father through our mediator Christ Jesus.
Ephesians 2:13,18
13 But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.
18 For through him we both have access in one Spirit to the Father.
Secondly, express your delight in God in plain language in prayer. God desires us to be honest and authentic in our conversations with him.
Psalm 37:4
“Delight yourself also in the Lord, and He shall give you the desires of your heart”
Thirdly tell God your longings for Him and your need for him in your life and the world around you. We are to be humbled in his presence and whether we realize it or not God is at work all day and all night in our lives.
Fourth continue in prayer to thank God for all the many things not only in you life but in our nation and the world that he has done and is doing. Prayer takes time, you may refer to a list if that helps.
Fifth after your thanksgiving and praise, you can return to the Throne of Grace with petitions and needs. This is where you present prayers of intercession for those around you and the world at large. Your family members, church members, friends, your community, the nation, and other needs of the wider world. Again you may desire a list.
“Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).
“…Ask, and you will receive, that your joy may be full” (John 16:24).
Sixth you may wish to follow your prayers with scripture reading. Try to read at least a chapter of Scripture, find key verses, and meditate on them. Ask God to show you what they mean. Pray that He will help you to humbly share these truths with others. Read and obey.
Finally Thank God for all that he has done for you and ask for his presence in your life today.
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