“The Beauty of Prayer” by Anna Babin

Lately, God has been opening up my eyes to see that prayer is a beautiful gift He has given me. Unfortunately, over the last few months, my time in prayer has been infrequent. I miss it and long for this time communing with my Father, but there has been a disconnect in my heart’s desires and my life’s actions that has caused me to not spend much time in prayer.

I don’t know if you have ever struggled with being intentional in prayer on a daily basis, but I sure have. After pressing the snooze button a few times in the morning (okay, let’s be honest… it’s more than a few), little time remains before needing to go to work and I give myself two options: either spend time in the Word, or spend time in prayer. Unfortunately, I have been constraining myself to one or the other instead of both at the same time since I tend to be short on time.

Typically, I go for Option 1…spending time in the Word. My human nature thinks that time in the Word is more “productive” because I can accomplish something tangible – reading a passage or two. In reality, my heart has often been distant from God even in my time in the Word, because I haven’t been spending time communicating with Him, or seeing my time in His Word as an avenue for us to conversate with one another.

I say all this because I have come to realize that prayer is actually essential before I even pick up my Bible to read! It is ALL about having an actual relationship with God, and my relationship will quickly become distant if I’m not opening up my heart and ears before Him regularly through prayer. Prayer is the means by which my heart is postured as a dependent child before my loving and powerful Father.

I know that, as Christians, most of you understand the importance of prayer. However, I want to take time to remind you, and especially myself, that prayer isn’t something we should do, but a beautiful thing we get to do!! We were once dead in our sins (Ephesians 2:1), and a dead person certainly can’t talk, especially not to God! But God loved us so much, that He brought us to Life through what Jesus did on our behalf:

“But God loves us deeply. He is full of mercy. So he gave us new life because of what Christ has done. He gave us life even when we were dead in sin. God’s grace has saved you.” (Ephesians 2:4-5 NIRV)

Jesus opened up the door of communication between us and God. He made a way when there was no other way. We get to have an intimate relationship with the God who, “directs the steps of the godly. He delights in every detail of their lives. Though they stumble, they will never fall, for the Lord holds them by the hand” (Psalm 37:23-24 NLT). The God who created this universe, and the God who created you and me, delights in every detail of our lives.

Paul wrote in Philippians 4:6, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” NKJV

We have to understand that even in the midst of what can seem like trying circumstances, God cares about us, loves us, and is powerful to work in and through us. He delights in answering the prayers of his children and desires that we come before Him, seeking Him, His work in our lives, and His ways.

This word came to Jeremiah during the final siege of the Babylonians against Jerusalem: “Call to me and I will answer you, and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known” (Jeremiah 33:3 ESV).

I pray that we would start taking more intentional time to pray. That we would sacrifice sleep and the things on our to-do lists to prioritize prayer. That we would start seeing prayer as more important than anything else in our busy schedules. And I pray that instead of choosing whether to pray or read the Word, that we would do both to deepen our relationship with our Father. And remember, you have a Father who has bought you life at the price of His Son, who has made a way to have communication with you, and Who desires to answer your prayers in beautiful ways so that He may be glorified!!

I pray these beautiful words from Paul over you:
“For this reason I kneel before the Father, from whom every family in heaven and on earth is named. I pray that He may grant you, according to the riches of His glory, to be strengthened with power in the inner man through His Spirit, and that the Messiah may dwell in your hearts through faith. I pray that you, being rooted and firmly established in love, may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the length and width, height and depth of God’s love, and to know the Messiah’s love that surpasses knowledge, so you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
Now to Him who is able to do above and beyond all that we ask or think according to the power that works in us— to Him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:14-21 HCSB)

~ Written by Anna Babin ~

 

Anna Babin is a Birmingham native who moved to the Rocket City after marrying her husband, Michael. She is blessed to work at the Huntsville Pregnancy Resource Center, where she gets to love on women facing unexpected pregnancies. Her passions include studying God’s word, blogging, public speaking, all things health, gardening, and drinking coffee. Check out her blog at www.LifeAsALight.com.

Tags: Anna Babin, beautiful, Bible, God cares, Intentional, Life, prayer, Relationship, Soul Food