“God is great; God is good.  Thank you for our daily food.  Amen!”

That is what little kindergarten children may say before having their cookies and milk.  Some older children say it for grace, too.

Some children also have a bedtime prayer–”Now I lay me down to sleep; I pray the Lord my soul to keep. . .”

Many of us have our form prayers, don’t we?  Those prayers are very helpful when we don’t want to get too close to God–or have Him get too close to us!  Some of us lean on the Lord’s Prayer.  Our Lord Jesus gave us this prayer, so it is perfect–if we really mean every word!

Then again, some of us pray insincerely, just wanting to make a good impression on other people.

According to Jesus, that’s what a certain prideful Pharisee did.  This man looked down his long nose at a nearby publican and thanked God he wasn’t like THAT sinner and others like him.  Then in his so-called prayer he bragged about how “good” he was.

The publican, however, bowed his head humbly.  In anguish he cried, “God be merciful to me a sinner!”

We miss out on the joy of prayer if we are not aware of the power and blessing of it!  And we miss out on the true meaning of being a Christian when we do not regularly and conversationally talk with our Lord.  Personal communication with Him is a sweet privilege!

“Pray without ceasing,” Paul said in 1 Thessalonians 5:17.

How do we do that?  Well, we have to be right with the Lord.  The prophet Amos said, “Can two walk together except they be agreed?”  That’s why we ask God to forgive our sins and  turn us from wrongdoing, so we can be in step with Him.  This may cost us something in worldly pleasure and self-discipline, but the rewards are greater than the cost.  For we are filled with peace and joy when we walk and talk daily with our Lord.

Also, we can speak to Him throughout the day.  We can call quickly and quietly to Him when we need help.  We can discuss with Him our problems and leave them in His capable hands.  We can be lifted to joy by praising and thanking God for His blessings and the beauty it’s of His marvelous creations.

True communication is both speaking and listening.   When we talk with the Lord, we can know He will guide us in the decisions we have to make.  If we trust Him, we will see prayers answered.  We will see Him do “more than we ask or think” (Ephesians 3:20).  God may not always answer the way we want Him to, but He does answer.

If you record your prayer requests in a little booklet, you will experience great joy when the prayers are answered and you can write the answer in red, alongside the date.  Try it!

Jesus told us, “My Father will give you whatever you ask in my name” (John 16:23). This promise is real to me.  Is it real to you?

Lord, Teach me to pray. Amen

Questions: Do you find it difficult to be real with God? Why? What does praying to God mean to you?

About the Author Muriel Larson

Daily audio podcast: A second daily devotional, The Depth of God’s Love for You, today on the Men’s Devotional Blog