Guiding Light!
Profound Truth About Prayer!
The prophet Jeremiah was not a popular man. He had recently been imprisoned for telling the truth God had given him, that Judah would soon be in captivity to Babylon for seventy long years.
Yet in these dire circumstances, Jeremiah teaches us something profound about prayer. Jeremiah 33:1-3 says: "Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah the second time, while he was still confined in the court of the guard, saying, "Thus says the Lord who made the earth, the Lord who formed it to establish it, the Lord is His name, 'Call to Me and I will answer you, and I will tell you great and mighty things, which you do not know.' "A world of truth about talking with God is packed into these simple words. Maybe you are not sure how to pray or what to pray, or the only prayers you said were ones you memorized as a child.
Prayer is a very real part of a vital relationship with God, and it is not for some special spiritual elite. It is for you. Three principles within these verses can transform your old notions about prayer into something fresh and new.
First, God says "Call to Me . . ." He wants to hear you talk with Him; it is the desire of His righteous, omnipotent, all-loving heart to hear you, His precious creation, share your innermost thoughts and feelings with Him. It's been said that the shortest distance between the problem you are facing and the solution is the distance between your knees and the floor. You don't have to wait for a crisis in order to call out to God, however. Even when circumstances are going smoothly, He wants to hear from you. What you will discover is that your sweetest times of prayer happen when you come before Him simply to praise and worship and be thankful for what He has given.
Second, God says "I will answer you." Do you really believe that? You may have an experience in your past of asking God for something that He did not give you. Since that time, you harbored secret worries that He did not hear or did not care to answer. God Himself says to you in Jeremiah 33:3, "I will answer you." That answer may not take the form you anticipate or come when you desire, but He will respond. There are three possibilities of what He might say to you: yes, no, or wait. You may not understand the reasons behind His answer, but you can trust that they are best for you. And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. Romans 8:28
Third, God says, "I will tell you great and mighty things which you do not know." Your wisdom and understanding are finite, but God is all-knowing. He knows the big picture; you see merely a tiny piece. When you ask Him to guide you, He works in your life to direct you as a part of His higher vision and calling.
What does prayer mean to you? It can be a part of a dynamic relationship with almighty God if you take that first step of calling out to Him. Do it today—He waits for your voice.
In Christ's Service,
Kenny Millhouse
kenny@guidinglightministry.com
http://guidinglightministry.com
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