The Gift of Prayer

As a teenager, I remember telling God all of my secrets. I was so convinced that God just sat in heaven like an old grandpa with nothing to do. I could always go to Him because He was a great listener. I never really thought God spoke and that made Him a great candidate for someone I could pour my heart out to. Since, in my mind He didn’t speak, I knew my secrets were safe with Him. Besides, who would He tell anyway? Even though I never expected Him to speak back to me, I always felt relieved after I talked to Him. 

Later in life, I ran across what would become one of my favorite verses, John 10:27 which reads “My sheep hear My voice, and I know them, and they follow Me.” Wait! God has a voice? He actually knows His sheep which means He interacts daily with them and they follow Him which means He gives direction.  I’ve come to find that God not only speaks but He speaks in many different ways. He has way more personality than what I gave Him credit for. He cares about even the smallest details and He is full of compassion. He has a sense of humor and He also corrects me.  He has this “aww-struck” way of showing me things about myself that I never knew were there; the good and the bad.  I’m amazed every time God speaks to me! I never want to take His voice for granted. 

Prayer is like unwrapping a gift that has many layers. Each layer goes deeper into God’s heart, revealing the unexplainable and majestic beauty of who He really is.

Open the gift of prayer. Set aside time to talk to God. He’s listening. Allow Him to tune your heart so that you can recognize His voice because He is constantly speaking.