Some time ago, I was reading through the comments section of a blog I follow. The topic might have had to do with prayer or something related. The person commenting noted that whenever someone told her of an issue they were facing or an issue in general, she would tell them she would pray for them. But then, something changed, and she started either offering to pray for them right then and there if she thought they were receptive, or she would quietly do it, still in the moment, if she wasn’t sure. It didn’t need to be a long, elaborate prayer.
I’m learning that God doesn’t need long, elaborate or flowery prayers, he just needs a sincere heart. I’ve recently adopted the same philosophy. For a very long time, if someone suggested/requested I pray for something or I offered, and I tried to wait until bed time when I was saying my prayers, my tendency was to forget. I am human, and I have a gazillion other things on my mind. So now when someone asks me to pray, I make sure to do it right away. Or, if I hear of a need in conversation, and there is an opportunity to pray with the person, I do. It not only offers comfort to the person I’m praying with, but it humbles me.
I’m also learning that when someone crosses my mind, especially someone I haven’t seen or spoken with in a long time, I say a prayer for them, and check on them, if possible. I’ve even been blessed in a few instances where out of the blue my daughter has told me to pray for specific people, we do, and find out later that it was because they were going through something and needed those prayers. Those conversations usually leave me in awe at the way God works.
I woke up with the intention of writing on prayer, and grabbed my phone, but there was an instagram follow request. I typically try not to get distracted, but I swiped it because it wasn’t a name I recognized. The young lady had this text in her intro, Jeremiah 29:11. I’m not great with scripture just from looking at the text, so I looked it up, and kept reading the paragraph. This is what Jeremiah 29:11-14a states: ‘”For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. I will be found by you,” declares the Lord.’
Wow. God himself tells me that when I pray to Him, He will listen to me. He has certain requirements though, He wants us to seek Him with all our hearts. I don’t know about you, but I’ve struggled with giving God all my heart. Sometimes I think if I can just fix it up a little, or I can stop doing some of the things I’m doing, then I can give Him all of me. But I don’t think He wants me to wait for that. He wants all of me, just the way I am, at this very moment. And he promises to hear my prayers when I seek Him.
Dear Heavenly Father, we come seeking you. Help us to see you. Please remind us that we do not need to be perfect to come to you, we just need to come and you will make us perfect through you, and your love. Help us that when we have a need, to come to you first. Help us to come boldly to you on behalf of ourselves and on behalf of others, because you promised to hear us.
