Not only does God have a plan for this life, but His design goes far beyond what I could imagine. Salvation and eternal life with Him are His ultimate goals. By redeeming us from the destructive paths we are on, God gives us abundant everlasting life in Jesus Christ. Change, however, takes work. The pulls of this world are strong, and we need to be willing to put effort into the process. Salvation is a gift to all who accept Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior (Jn 3:16).  This is not simply a contract to be entered into and then forgotten, but a beginning of a lifelong journey. The work required to be open to God’s leading in our life is to study His Word in the Bible, interact with other believers, and spend time in prayer.

Sadly, prayer for many falls to reciting memorized lines accompanied by a list of demands before heading off on daily tasks. I do not believe this is God’s desire. While He will graciously take whatever we give Him, He truly longs for a deep, intimate, and personal relationship with us. One cannot have a close relationship with someone else with only one-sided conversations. When we rush into our lives after checking the box of offering a few obligatory moments, we often fail to hear the response to our pleas. God desires to answer us and for us to depend on Him doing so. A dependent person is defined as one who “relies on another for support.”[1] This is the kind of conversation the God of all creation wants to have with us. He desires a two-way talk where we can share all our joys, doubts, and longings as though He is our closest friend. When we quietly listen for His replies, we can depend on Him to answer us with His design of what is best for us.

Hallesby beautifully defines prayer as “The breath of the soul, the organ by which we receive Christ into our parched and withered hearts.”[2] We do not need to be eloquent or scripted in our prayer but honest and open. When we come to the Lord in our need, we must allow Him to enter our lives. Thrasher goes further to define prayer as “helplessness plus faith.”[3] Prayer is a time of fellowship with our creator, where we can surrender our helplessness to Him and depend on His love and nurturing guidance.

Soli Deo Gloria,

Pastor Michael

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[1] “Definition of DEPENDENT,” accessed October 22, 2022, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/dependent.

[2] Ole Hallesby, Prayer (Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1994), 10.

[3] Bill Thrasher, A Journey to Victorious Praying: Finding Discipline and Delight in Your Prayer Life (Chicago: Moody Publishers, 2003), 5.