[Deeply Rooted] Our Dwelling Place预览

Prayer

It’s hard to imagine a world before smartphones or a time when your spouse, friend, or neighbor wasn’t just a click away. Things are very different today. It seems like you can be in contact with anyone, anywhere, and at any time. It’s the blessing and curse of modern technology!

Prayer has jestingly been described as the oldest and most advanced form of technology there is. In the same way your cell phone connects you to a friend, neighbor, or delivery service anywhere and at any time, prayer can connect us to God with a simple cry, anywhere and at any time!

We talked about the gift of dependence yesterday, and how important it is for us to grow in it. Prayer is a big part of that. In prayer, we can tell God anything that’s on our hearts, and we can look to Him at any time of the day. The simple act of prayer reinforces our dependence by turning our focus to God and giving us space to hear what He says to us.

Prayer also gives us an opportunity to know God better. Just like talking to a friend or a loved one every day allows you to build your relationship, prayer brings us into deeper fellowship with God. You’ll be surprised how many opportunities there are in the day to just stop and pray. Those moments often get filled with scrolling on our phones or mindless distractions, but if we can replace those with a moment of prayer, we will recognize God’s presence with us more and more every day.

Another blessing of prayer is that it helps us to relinquish our perceived sense of control and to recognize that God is omnipotent. Prayer causes us to shift our focus from the things around us to things above. That shift of perspective reminds us that God sits sovereign on His throne, and that He is in control. Knowing this can bring us so much peace, especially when we are suffering or walking through times of uncertainty. Just knowing that God is above, seeing things we cannot see, controlling things out of our control, and planning better things than we could ask, think, or imagine can give us the strength to endure another day. So, look to the Lord in prayer today and renew your trust in our sovereign and faithful God.

Thought of the Day: Prayer is another invitation from God to grow in dependence on Him. Today, I will find opportunities to stop and pray so I can commune with the Lord and express my trust in His sovereign plan.