Calling God.

Founders Note: Today on the blog we have one of our monthly contributors, Charity from the word of a nerd. Find out more about her here on our about page. She is sharing her heart on prayer! 

When something in my day went wrong I either A. Called my mom, B. Called my husband, or C. Vegged out watching TV. Neither A B or C would actually help to fix what went wrong, nor could they give me the peace that I need when I am frustrated, but those were the things that I was always programmed to do. I received a false sense of security relying on people or things to ease my trouble. A while ago I had been having a really rough day from the time I woke up. I tried all three of my lifelines and they were all preoccupied with other things. My mother and my husband were busy working, and there was no access to TV where I was. I had relied on these lifelines to help me so often that when they failed even if only once I was livid. I ranted on my moms voice mail, and texted my husband urging him to pick up the phone. Still no dice, but I needed to talk to someone.

Then as if He had gotten so tired of trying to get my attention God nudged me and put it in my spirit to pray. I immediately prayed and felt a calm come over me, I felt peace. My problems didn't go away but their power over me diminished in that moment. Prayer is our direct line to God, it's a way to communicate without cellphone, email, or snail mail. The line of prayer is open morning, noon, and night - including holidays. So why is it that we use prayer as a last resort when it should be our first option?!

For me I didn't always feel the immediate satisfaction from God that comes from talking to another human. I also didn't want to think about how the way I behaved in difficult circumstances mattered. But the more I relied on people or things in the times of my distress the less they were available. In turn I began to spend more time in prayer with God and it was in those prayers that he began to change me.

I learned that prayer was important because it's the only way I can have a relationship with my creator. It has been revealed to me that prayer also frees us from the weight of our problems because in prayer we know that there is a higher being working on our behalf. We can then receive rest knowing that He is more capable than we are. Prayer is important because it brings us directly into the presence of God. 

The Lord is close to all who call on him, yes, to all who call on him in truth. Psalms 145:18 NLT

Not only do we need to pray for our own circumstances but praying for others is essential. There are many times where our human hands will be worthless to the condition of another human heart - praying is sometimes the only way we can help others. We won't always be privy to all that our friends or family members are going through but in prayer we can petition for them to receive God's unmerited favor.

I urge you, first of all, to pray for all people. Ask God to help them; intercede on their behalf, and give thanks for them. 1 Timothy 2:1 NLT

Whether you have been praying for years or are just beginning your prayer journey know that God hears you. Prayer is not our right it is a privilege that was bought with the blood of our Savior. In His death Jesus gave us a direct line to connect with our Holy and Perfect God. Praying is a two way conversation from our mouths to God's ears and from his mouth to our hearts. Prayer is just the most intimate way to connect with our Heavenly Father. In prayer there is stillness, revelation, relief, and beauty. 

Have you experience His presence? Have you prayed today?