How often do you speak with the Lord? Clearly, God wants to hear from us frequently. We can see this truth from the following verses:
1 Thessalonians 5:17 pray without ceasing, 18 in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.
Colossians 4:2 Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;
Jesus is our master example, and we find Him praying all night at times (Lk. 6:12). Prayer is a wonderful gift that allows us to speak to our Lord and to cast our cares and concerns onto the mighty shoulders of the Lord. It also gives us a great opportunity to praise Him and thank Him for all He does for us in our daily lives. Though God knows what we need in our lives, He still expects us to ask for it:
James 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask. 3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
Not only must we ask, but we must pray for righteous things and not for sinful things because God will not become an enabler for sin. James also teaches us to pray without doubt:
James 1:6 But let him ask in faith, with no doubting, for he who doubts is like a wave of the sea driven and tossed by the wind.
No, we will not always receive the exact answer to our prayers that we want, but if we open our eyes wide enough, we will eventually see the wisdom of God’s answer to our prayers. Certainly, we should speak often to our Lord and use this wonderful gift of prayer every day.
The scenario I am about to give you does not exist in Scripture, but I hope it might cause you to think about how much time you spend with the Lord in prayer. Let’s say that you make it to heaven, which would be beyond what you deserve. I do not know of any Chrisitan who would not cherish the idea of being able to talk to God directly in which you speak, and He speaks back to you like a regular conversation between friends. However, you find out that God will speak with you, but will only talk to you as long you talked to Him while you were on the earth. Also, the conversation will only be as deep as your prayers on earth were. How long would your conversation be? Would it be a shallow conversation? Would it be one focused on self? How often would you get to speak to God?
Again, I want to stress that this is idea is not taught in Scripture, but I hope it might give you a new perspective on your prayer life. I hope it will encourage you to spend more time with the Lord in prayer, not because you have to, but because you can. The only way you and I have the wonderful privilege of prayer is because of what Jesus did for us on the cross. So, do not neglect to speak to your Lord often. Let us never forget the words found in:
Hebrews 4:15 For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin. 16 Let us therefore come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need.