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"Prayer" Part 1 of 3 from the 2022 Summer/Autumn Vision Newsletter
Divine Service with Chief Apostle Schneider
Trust in Him at all times, you people; pour out your heart before Him; God is a refuge for us. - Psalm 62:8
The Bible verse today is about prayer. Some might ask, “Why do we have to pray? God knows everything. Why would I need to tell God everything?” God does not need our prayers, but we, on the other hand, need to pray. We need to pray to God because that’s the basic need of our soul. God created each human with a soul, which needs and desires to talk to its Creator. Our prayers are an excellent indicator of our spiritual health, allowing us to examine the intensity of our faith, love, and hope, which find expression in our prayers.
God is interested in everything: our joys, our sorrows, anxieties, annoyances, questions, and doubts. God is almighty and all-knowing – no one is better able to help us. We can tell Him anything, without fear of being judged or rejected because His love for me doesn’t depend on my behavior, on my deeds, on my strengths or weaknesses. We can be confident that when we approach God in prayer, He listens to us with interest and care, so pour out your heart!
Sometimes we talk a lot about things that irritate us to those around us, but we never talk to God about them. We would do well to ask ourselves why… Perhaps we do not want to do what God wants to tell us. When we hesitate to talk to God about something, that should be a red flag for us to turn inward and look at our motivations.
When we talk to people, we can hide what is not to our advantage. But we cannot hide anything from God. Not to mention our shortcomings in our prayers is to lie to ourselves! Let us recognize our weaknesses and repentantly ask God to help us overcome them.
When we understand prayer not only as a privilege, but a necessity for our souls to speak and spend time with its Creator, we also begin to see that prayer takes preparation. Let us take time to worship, to become aware of God’s omnipotence and omniscience.
Let us remember all that God has already done for us and thank Him. Let us learn to pray in Jesus’ name, asking God for what Jesus asks for us. Such preparation allows us to clearly establish our priorities. If we delight in the Lord, He will give us what our hearts desire (Psalm 37:4).
Prayer brings us peace. When we bring our concerns to God and trust in Him, we can have peace even if the problem is not yet solved because we know He will provide. Prayer also brings renewal. This is possible when we humbly confess to God what is not right within us. We can do this every week; confessing our sins and omissions to God. In such an exposed state, we will find that God is gracious, merciful; a refuge for us. He forgives, and offers us the opportunity to change and begin anew.
My soul, wait silently for God alone, for my expectation is from Him (Psalm 62:5).