Pray and keep on praying

When you pray, don’t babble on and on as the Gentiles do. They think their prayers are answered merely by repeating their words again and again. Don’t be like them, for your Father knows exactly what you need even before you ask him! (Matthew 6:7-8)

As a believer in Christ, we pray. Did you stop to consider that others who do not believe in Christ actually 'pray'? They recite phrases, repeating them over and over, to whatever it is they believe will help them. Prayer is not unique to Christ followers, but it does stem from a heart changed by his grace. It is conversation with God, out of a heart that has been renewed by his touch, and with the intention of getting to share what is in your mind, emotions, and spirit. 

What some fail to recognize is that sin actually puts a barrier between them and God. Once sin is confessed, the barrier is removed. When sin is confessed, the blood of Jesus wipes away the guilt and we stand 'right' with God. Does that mean we can go on sinning and just constantly confess our sins in order to 'stand right' with God? No, it means we have been redeemed by grace, set right, made new and now follow a different course than the one we were on before we asked God to rule and reign over our lives. Yes, we might do the opposite of what he asks on occasion, but we return to him for grace and forgiveness, seeking different choices.

Prayer requires a humble heart, an eagerness to listen to his instruction, and a willingness to yield our will to do as he asks us. In fact, prayer might actually be where we get a little humbler than when we first came to Jesus with our concerns, hopes, or thoughts. The more we talk with him about the issue at hand, the more he may show us where we need to change. That is pretty humbling, but we took the first step of humbling ourselves enough to actually truthfully lay our hearts bare before him. There is no one else in our lives that we can be as open and honest with as Jesus. He doesn't judge our shortcomings, nor does he interpret them as something that will never change. He knows exactly what to say, where to focus his attention, and give his direction.

We pray because we desire our relationship to grow. It is genuine, open, and thoughtful sharing of one's hurts, hangups, and hopes. If we can't trust the one who gave his all for us at Calvary with those things, who can we trust? Just askin...