Have you ever felt uneasy about approaching God in prayer? Ever felt afraid, uncomfortable, or like He was probably sick and tired of listening to you?
Many misconceptions about prayer exist:
Some say that its a one way street and they don’t like talking to themselves. Others think prayers ought to be soft, little meek statements in which we “beg” God for things we want. Some think that praying is boring. Others believe that talking to God once about something is enough and they have to use the right words or God won’t here them, much less answer their prayers. And lastly, there are those that think their prayers don’t make a difference.
All of these misconceptions come from a faulty view of God and what He accomplished for us in Christ.
These scriptures teach us about God:
- Numbers 23:19 (He is not like us, not human)
- Psalm 18:30 (His ways are perfect, He is a protector)
- Matthew 6:26 (He is caring, a provider)
- Psalm 50:6 (He is just)= perfectly Fair; impartial in His treatment of his creation
- Psalm 116:5 (He is gracious, righteous, and full of compassion)
- James 1:17 (Immutable, meaning that He is unchanging)
- 1 Corinthians 10:13 (God is faithful)
- 1 Timothy 4:10 (He is the savior of all men)
Because God is all these things and more, we can cry out to Him with familial affection, “our Father who is in heaven!”
“It is life-changing to understand what it means to be able to call the one true God our “father!”and what it means to be “joint heirs with Christ.
Because of our new relationship with God, our father, through the mediating work of Jesus Christ, His only begotten son, He no longer deals with us as enemies, instead, we can approach Him with boldness and confidence (Hebrews 10:19).
The Holy Spirit has been given to us as a pledge, to mark us as His dear children. He testifies with our spirit that we are heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ (Romans 8:16-17)!
This is why we can call upon Him in prayer and petition Him as a loving father. That is why we can be confident that He hears us, loves us, and wants to do good for us. Remember, Jesus taught His disciples to pray then, and us now, through the written word because He wants to hear from us! This is why, as Hebrews 4:16 says, we can approach Him with confidence!!!
So, let’s do just that.
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