Have you ever felt like your prayers aren't working? Don't worry, you're not alone!
Even the disciples came to Jesus one day and asked him to teach them how to pray. Jesus began to tell them not to pray on the street corners and make a big scene for all to see you praying, but rather to pray in quiet, alone, without distractions. The words don't have to be fancy and your speech doesn't need to be eloquent. All God asks you do to do is speak to him. So Jesus gave us this model prayer:
"Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will
be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive
us our debts, as we forgive our debtors. And do not lead us into temptation, but
deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory
forever. Amen." -Matthew 6:9-13
There is nothing like prayer, it's the closest we can be to our heavenly Father before we actually get to see Him in Glory. Francis Chan said "Sometimes I think...I just prayed...and God just listened to me! Is there anything more amazing, anything greater than that?!" Prayer isn't something we should be afraid of or intimidated by. God wants us to communicate with Him daily.
A 19th century philosopher, Soren Kierkegaard, once said "The function of prayer is not to influence God, but rather to change the nature of the one who prays." Did you catch that? We don't pray to bribe God, council Him, or give Him instruction; we pray in order that our hearts will be aligned with God's heart. When that happens, your prayers won't seem like they stop at the ceiling!
-Pastor Justin