Question and Answer 

 

I desire to grow in my relationship with God and lean on Him to show me His ways.  But prayer is hard for me.  Whenever I go to ask Him to do something in my life I feel silly asking Him.   Why ask or expect God to answer my prayers if He is going to do what He has planned for me already? 

Anonymous

 

 

 

 Angel Says,

 

Friend,

Please never feel silly to ask God to do something in your life. God cares for you. The Word tells us that we can “pray to the Father. He loves to help. You will get His help, and won’t be condescended to when you ask for it (Reference James 1:5-8, The Message).” Do not let the enemy – the father of lies – convince you that your prayers will not make a difference. The Word of Truth says that, “The earnest prayer of a righteous person has great power and produces wonderful results (Reference James 5:13-18).” There is power in prayer. And the enemy knows this.

 

Some things are only changed by prayer (Reference Mark 9:29).

 

A favorite example of how prayer changed the situation is found in Isaiah chapter 38. Hezekiah became very sick. God sent the prophet to him to tell him to get his affairs in order because he was going to die. But Hezekiah prayed. God then changed his situation and added years to his life.

 

Maybe sometimes the answer to our request is not what we were hoping for. But this walk with God is all about FAITH – confidence in our God. He wants us to believe Him. He wants us to trust Him with our lives. “Don’t worry about anything; instead pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank Him for all He has done (Philippians 4:6).”

 

I hope I can encourage you to pray about prayer. Be honest with the LORD about what you are feeling. Let God prove Himself to you. Let Him teach you.

 

May God allow you to know how wide, how long, how high and how deep His love is for you!

 

Angel Buff  vision61.com

 

 

  Dr. Michelle Bengtson Says,

 

Dear Anonymous,

This is a question that many have asked, myself included at one point in my life. It’s a fair question. I’m glad you asked it. And so is God, but here’s the thing, He’d be happier if you asked Him.

 

Why? Because He created us to be in relationship with Him. Prayer is the primary means by which God created for us to be in relationship with Him. Prayer allows us to get to know God’s heart and for us to express our heart to Him. I think of it this way: prayer calibrates our hearts with His. In a marriage relationship, I know my spouse really well, but I want to know his thoughts. It’s not enough for me to think I know them. I want to hear him speak them. God wants to hear us speak them. Yes He already knows what we think and what we feel, but He longs for us to include Him.

 

You said that you desire to grow in your relationship with God, and the fundamental ways to do that are to be in His word and to be in communication with Him through prayer. Those are the two ways we grow in our relationship with Him.

 

God invites us to tell Him our needs and to ask Him for the desires of our heart because it fosters relationship with Him. And truthfully, He is the only one who can truly satisfy our needs anyway. When we petition Him for our needs in prayer, He gives for our good and for His glory. Sometimes I think God is just waiting to bless until we ask Him for what we need. Priscilla Shirer says it this way: “Prayer is the portal that brings the power of heaven down to earth.”

 

There is another aspect to your question, however. That is that our prayers are not just about asking God for things. While petition is a valid aspect of prayer, and He does tell us to ask, it’s only part of the purpose of prayer. Prayer is an opportunity to praise God for who He is, and to thank Him for all He has done and all He is going to do. But it is also the avenue by which He has created for us to repair our relationship with Him by confessing and repenting of the times we have gone our own way.

 

The enemy would like us to think our prayers are futile “because God is already going to do what He has planned already,” thereby convincing us we don’t need to pray. But if I don’t talk to my spouse because I already know him and what he thinks, over time we will grow distant and estranged and I will know him and his heart toward me less and less. The same is true in our walk with God. Dear one, do not be deceived. Prayer is our opportunity to grow close to our Heavenly Father by sharing our heart with Him, and hearing His heart for us.

 

Maybe the very best place to start is asking your question to Him and listening for His answer.

 

May your prayers draw you ever closer to the Father’s heart.

 

Because of Him, #HopePrevails!

Dr. Michelle Bengtson – http://www.DrMichelleBengtson.com

 

 

   Wendy Says

Dear  One,

Going to God in prayer is more than merely approaching Him when necessary to ask for what you need or desire. Ultimately, it’s about communicating freely and honestly with the One who loves you with an everlasting love.

Sometimes it helps to look at our relationship with God by comparing it to how our children interact with us. For instance, do we want them to come to us with everything on their hearts or do we want them to share with us only what they think we want to hear?

Would we prefer them to hold some things back on the assumption that:

• We already know what is best for them?
• You aren’t interested in their point of view ?
• They are bothering you?
• You will disapprove, or worse… be angry with him?

How we approach God is limited by our own sinful shortcomings, not His. Jesus made it possible for us to approach our Heavenly Father, not in fear and intimidation, but in confidence and joy, because we know that we are welcomed by a Heavenly Father who loves us with perfect love.

“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)

If you believe the lie that your thoughts, feelings and heart’s desires are not important to Jesus, than go to Him and lay that lie at His feet to receive forgiveness and faith to confidently run to Him.

“in whom we have boldness and access with confidence through our faith in him.” (Ephesians 3:12 ESV)

… even the faith to believe that it pleases Him when we are willing to lay our heart bare before Him… like the beloved child we are.

Wendy Munsell http://www.blessedunravelling.com/about/