GOD GIVES US PRAYER
“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you.” Luke 11:9
The words of today’s Bible passage tell us so much about prayer that someone wrote a poem about it. (Author unknown.)
I got up early one morning and rushed right into the day!
I had so much to accomplish that I didn’t take time to pray.
Problems just tumbled about me, and heavier came each task.
“Why doesn’t God help me?” I wondered. He answered, “You didn’t ask!”
I tried to come into God’s presence; I used all my keys at the lock.
God gently and lovingly scolded, “Why, child, you didn’t knock!”
I wanted to see joy and beauty, but the day toiled on, gray and bleak.
I wondered why God didn’t show me. He answered, “But you didn’t seek.”
I woke up early this morning, and paused before entering the day.
I had so much to accomplish, that I just had to take time to pray.
Prayer is a special blessing God gives only to believers. It is the way God lets us talk to him. And God always answers with a “Yes,” “No,” or “Let me think about this for a moment.”
We pray for many reasons. Sometimes we thank God for blessings. We pray at meals thanking God for our food. We also pray to tell God what’s on our minds and if there are some needs we have. We might pray for healing, for a friend who is in need of help, or even for a safe trip. God tells us that nothing is too much for us to ask. We also pray to give God glory and praise.
We can pray anywhere and at any time. Some of us pray when we get into bed, or in the morning when we get up. These are great times to pray.
The Bible mentions many heartfelt prayers. Abraham prayed for God to spare Sodom. Hezekiah prayed when he was dying from an illness. Paul prayed when he was in prison. Jesus often spent all night in prayer with his Father. And when his disciples asked Jesus how to pray, Jesus gave them the Lord’s Prayer as an example.
We know that when we pray, we can be certain God will answer in a way he knows best. God promises: “Before they call, I will answer; while they are still speaking, I will hear” (Isaiah 65:24).
Whisper a prayer in the morning, whisper a prayer at noon;
Whisper a prayer in the evening, to keep your heart in tune.
God answers prayer in the morning, God answers prayer at noon;
God answers prayer in the evening, to keep your heart in tune.
From Living for Jesus by Reynold R. Kremer