This article is in several parts, click at the end of each page to read the next part.
A Story
A few years ago, a young woman felt challenged by God about her prayer life. As she listened, the Lord showed her that while she spent time with Him in the morning in prayer, what He desired was for her to communicate with Him all day long. Astonished and terrified, she protested vigorously, "Lord, You are going to make a fanatic of me." She said to herself, "Living in a heightened awareness of God all the time, talking continually with God, how strange!" Yes, to this vague awareness of God's omnipresence, but to have God for company all the time, a constant interaction, was inconceivable; she would feel under surveillance 24 hours a day, her life would lose its color, impossible to have fun. No, it definitely wasn't good.
Yet it was. I know something about it, because that young woman was me. And making the necessary changes to obey this challenge from God radically transformed my prayer life. I came to understand the real meaning of prayer, to communicate with God, to develop an intimate relationship with Him, and also to participate alongside Him to give flesh to His desires and His plans on earth. I discovered a Person of infinite beauty, goodness, excellence, power and love, I was seduced by him, convinced that there is no better company than His, that He is there An indispensable person in my life, the perfect Friend and Master. And now what seemed at the time to be a terrible imposition has become a source of joy and happiness. For God East pleasant company.
Your Story
But this story is not just mine, it is also your story; it is the story of every child of God who has been received into His family, carried in the arms of Jesus. To each one He grants the honor of praying. Honor? So prayer would be an honor and not an obligation? Yes, it is an honor to pray, an extraordinary privilege to have the opportunity to connect with the Creator. He Himself tells us to pray and promises us, guarantees us that when we do, He will be present.
Invitation
The Creator of the universe extends an invitation to us, the most wonderful, magnificent, excellent, and perfect Person in existence desires my company and offers me His. Neither you nor I can, should hardly afford to refuse such an offer. We who previously did not deserve to kiss the ground beneath His feet are now invited to converse, deliberate, and commune with Him. Thus, amazed by such grace, David eloquently sings, “This is the one thing that I have asked of the Lord, that I have longed for, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, that I may behold the beauty of the Lord…”
Command
Then He goes further and instructs me to pray, He insists that I pray. He commands you to come to Him, to speak to Him, to ask Him. “Ask…, seek…, knock…,”; “pray without ceasing”; “Ask of Me and I will give you the nations…” And God is not in the habit of granting exceptions in this matter because He has given you the means to do so. This is where duty comes in, so prayer is both an invitation and a command.
(Read the second part HERE)
