Gratitude, Day 9 (Prayer)

Oh, how grateful I am for the privilege of prayer.  To think that the Creator of the universe would want to hear from me personally is so incredible to me; to know that He is eager to talk with me and to hear what's on my mind is beyond my comprehension.  I am amazed when I think that He is interested in everything about me and promises to answer my prayers.  At times, the answer may not be what I had hoped for or expected, but I am assured that it's the right answer for me because the One who provides the answer knows me best.

How often have you heard someone say (perhaps you, yourself) "all we can do is pray."  My friend, that is the BEST thing we can do!  Prayer is powerful.  James 5:16 says, "The effectual, fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much."  Earlier this week the author of my devotional posed a question whose answer I think is so typical of us as believers. He said, "Do my prayers lack power if I am unable to do anything to help God answer them?"  No wonder we feel overwhelmed with the needs of others!  We are trying to take on responsibility that is God's.  We must ask the Lord to help us trust Him that our prayers are being heard and that lives are being changed and affected by our prayers.

I enjoy communing most with the Lord when I am just talking to Him as I would a friend.  I believe this is the intent of the verse of Scripture from I Thessalonians 5:17, "Pray Without Ceasing."  No, we can't continually be in prayer but we can be in the spirit of prayer which to me means having an attitude of prayerfulness throughout our day and talking to Jesus as we go about our daily activities. 

I am glad my heavenly Father is always there for me.  There have been times when I've awakened in the middle of the night with worrisome or troubling thoughts and fear about something I'm facing or going through and been comforted by the sweet presence of Jesus who has eased my anxieties and whispered words of encouragement, hope and healing to my heart.

So yes, I am thankful for prayer and for a Father who hears my prayers.  One of my favorite childhood memories is seeing a plaque on my grandmother's wall that said, "Prayer Changes Things."  I'm here to attest that it truly does!