Are there things that are keeping you from living in freedom with Christ? We can pray for you.

“The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth… And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name” (Acts 22:14, 16).

In the book of Acts, Luke tells the dramatic story of a man named Saul, a Jew and a Pharisee who aggressively persecuted anyone who was a follower of Jesus. He didn’t just cause trouble for those near him, but travelled to neighboring cities in order to arrest people.

On a trip to Damascus, Jesus appeared with a bright light and asked why Saul was persecuting Him. As a result, Saul was blinded for three days, until a believer named Ananias came, placed his hands on him and prayed for him. (Acts 9:1-19)

Everything changed for Saul. He went from persecuting followers of Jesus to proclaiming the name of Jesus as the only way to God. He preached to Gentiles, started churches, wrote much of the New Testament and was eventually killed for his faith.

Listen as he recounts Ananias’ words of instruction. “The God of our fathers has chosen you to know His will and to see the Righteous One and to hear words from His mouth… And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on His name” (Acts 22:14, 16).

Saul had an encounter with the living God and was never the same. How about you? Just because there was no blinding light, doesn’t mean you haven’t experienced God’s conviction in your heart. You have heard the truth: Jesus died so that you could be forgiven and have an intimate relationship with God.

God has chosen you to know His will, to repent of your sins and call on the name Jesus.

What are you waiting for?

Heavenly Father, I pray that every person who reads this today, who has never completely surrendered his or her life to you, will do so today. Thank you that You do not want anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance. (2 Peter 3:9) Amen.

Questions: What is holding you back from coming to Jesus? How has your life changed since you came to Him?

“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