Exhale. Inhale. There’s something we all do every day. Prayer should be just as normal, just as natural, as breathing. And follow the same pattern too. Breathe out first, then breathe in. Begin with thanksgiving and praise—after that we can bring our needs and requests. But then, when we come to the Father trusting in Jesus, this approach is exactly what we would expect, what we would consider to be normal.
Jesus has opened the way to God for us. He gives us thankful hearts. And trusting in Christ we are confident God will hear and respond to our requests. After all, in Jesus God has provided for our deepest need: Peace with God through the forgiveness of sin.
Jesus also gives us a most practical help in praying; He gives us the Scriptures. Here we find patterns for prayer, words we can make our own—like those in Psalm 117:
Praise the Lord, all nations!
Extol him, all peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us,
and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
Praise the Lord! |
