The Hopeful: Pray

“Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Matthew 26:41

The skies were full of stars, thousands of them, shining in all their brilliance against a black velvet night. It was quiet, so still that one could hear the rustling of the grass in the gentle breeze. It was a night like thousands of quiet nights before…except… 

The old, scarred door of the small house on the street slowly swung open. A shadowy figure purposefully made his way out onto the dusty road, avoiding the trash from last night’s party. A drunk sprawled across the street, and a homeless man shivered in the cold night air. He retraced his steps to put a rolled up coat under the drunk’s head and settled an old blanket on the homeless man. The figure was the Teacher. 

The Teacher hiked past a row of shacks and then turned onto a well-used trail leading to the top of a small hill. He looked out over His hometown for a long, long time. He sighed and sank to His knees, still gazing out across the town, wiping tears from His eyes. 

He slowly got up and walked to the other side of the hill, where He could see only the stars. He stared long and hard at them–the stars He had created so long ago. Spreading His hands out to the heavens, He shared all that was on His heart. Sometimes He spoke, then paused, listening. He was deep in conversation, unrushed, like talking with a close friend. 

The sky paled to blue and then exploded in a fresh display of colors as the Teacher strode back down the hill. He waved to the drunk, smiled at the homeless man, then opened the door to the house…and to another day.

Mentoring Moments 

• Why do you invest time in communicating with your friends and family? Why would you want to invest in communicating with God through prayer?
• Read Mark 1:35. What was the practice of Jesus?
• How do you pray to God? Here are several practical steps:
  • Pray by sharing with God how you really feel. Be honest. David, in the psalms, gives us many examples of honest, open-hearted prayers. Explore David’s prayers to see what he shared with God. (Psalm 9:1, 2; Psalm 13:1; Psalm 18:1, 2; Psalm 42:1, 2; Psalm 51:7-12)
  • Pray using the themes Jesus used when He gave His disciples an example in Matthew 6:9-13. 
  • Ask in the name of Jesus. See John 15:16. Ask for what Jesus has promised. Many times we ask for what we want rather than what Jesus has promised. If we asked for what Jesus promised, we would receive different results. See 1 John 5:14, 15. 
  • Pray with expectancy that He will answer. See Psalm 5:3; 91:15.
• What would change in your life if you prayed as an ongoing conversation with God throughout every day?

The way I pray has continued to change over the years. My earliest prayers were quite formal, as if talking to a distant Being, far removed from me. In my youth I read the Psalms and was shocked to discover how David talked with God. I was amazed that David shared his anger, frustrations and doubts with his Maker! His prayers challenged me to talk with God as to a holy Friend, and to be open with what I was experiencing in life. 

In the rush of the day, it is far too easy to be distracted and to forget that my whole day can be a conversation with God! What a comfort it is to know that I can share anything with God at any time. 

A few years ago I made a discovery in God’s Word that continues to powerfully impact me on a daily basis. I read Isaiah 50:4. I realized that God longed to awaken me each morning so that He could teach me as His disciple from His written Word and through prayer. I began an experiment by praying before I fell asleep at night that God would awaken me AT ANY TIME to come and spend time with Him.

I found that God was ready to honor my request according to His promise in Isaiah 50:4. Morning after morning He awakens me to come and seek Him in the Scriptures and to listen for what He has to say about them for my life. 

Like a child making a wonderful new friend, I have re-discovered God by having unrushed time to enjoy what He has spoken in Scripture and to wait on Him to see what He would say to me through His Spirit speaking to my heart. God has much more to say to us when we slow down in His Presence.

You may be thinking, “How can I know if I am hearing God speak to my heart?” My friend, ALWAYS test your impressions and convictions by the written Word of God. God will NEVER lead you in a way that contradicts His written Word!