Whether you are a seasoned veteran, or you are new to the concept of talking to God, praying is always going to look different for each of us. Thankfully, right where you sit can be a place for conversation with God. Closing our eyes, drowning out the world that distracts us, and attempting to allow yourself to be found is a great start. Though it may seem difficult at first, creating a good rhythm and pattern will continue to make it feel easier as a process. Subtle reminders for this action to take place allows for practice to make us better at finding that time to be found by God.
Though prayer looks quite different to a lot of us, there is a source to better understand what it can look like in a general term. Throughout Jesus' life, we get to read thru the accounts of watching or listening to some of His prayers. While prayer is often easily found once we look earnestly, it does come with some responsibility after the discussion begins. Once you step into that realm of conversation, I believe you will find that God then has expectations from each of us.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly. Mathew 6:6 KJV
Though we often seek many rewards from God, it often does not come without responsibility to live a life that is pleasing to God. Accepting the responsibility to enable actions within our life that reflect the teachings of Jesus is the goal. Don't overwhelm yourself immediately but do understand that starting that conversation allows for work to begin, not cease. Yet, we should not fear progression as it is a process that should allow for joy to begin to cultivate and grow within us and be shared.
Just as the term suggests, the cultivating shows that the process has now started for the work to begin. If we are analyzing ourselves honestly, and looking to God for guidance, He will enlighten us with where the work should begin. Some places within our life that we are not living to His expectation of us. A word of encouragement is that we all have quite a few "somethings" that we're trying to work out. The key is to take it a step at a time and understand a few things:
a) You are not the only person with opportunities for improvement within your life.
b) Someone close to you probably has an ability to help or hinder your progress.
c) Continuous improvement is a lifestyle with God, not a career buzzword.
34And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me. 35For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever shall lose his life for my sake and the gospel's, the same shall save it. 36For what shall it profit a man, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Mark 8:34-36 KJV
The process of taking up our cross and denying ourselves daily is a large part of the process, hence Jesus encouraging those around Him with this. It's a hard part of the process and many do not openly discuss what taking up the cross actually looks like. I think partly because the process is messy, however, knowing that sharing those parts allow for us to learn (hopefully without making the same mistakes). While there is always joy in the Lord, that does not negate the process of struggle and growth. In fact, quite the opposite is promised with reading these verses and many like it within the Bible.
Regardless of your current living situation, a guarantee of your walk with God is that we all have our own crosses to bare. Meaning, challenges related directly to our life story will be present and we are to place Jesus' teachings above our want to retaliate or react to negative things. Though the challenges present obstacles, often those challenges drive us to depend more on God than ever before and teach us how God can use them to improve us as a people. With that dependance we start to gain a more foundational joy within our life. A foundation joy that is not so easily swayed by the storms within our life. Metaphorically, the boat still rocks, some items or people may be tossed out, but the journey of life begins to build a joy that is everlasting within God.
22even the righteousness of God which is by faith of Jesus Christ unto all and upon all them that believe: for there is no difference: 23for all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God; 24being justified freely by his grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus: Romans 3:22-24 KJV
As Paul is writing here, the idea that all people have improvements to encounter within their life can be an encouragement. When working with God through the struggle, we better understand that each individual has their own challenges, but also our own freely found grace. The grace and mercy of God abounds beyond even our own limiting ideas of God. With each prayer said to God, it is a constant process that humbles us to know the source of good.
Knowing where the source of good is, it may still be easy to slip into the thoughts of what will be lost when starting our walk with God. It is easy to think that letting go of any sins we have placed before God require us to give things away, seeming to cause us to have less of a fulfilling life. Though we can deceive ourselves of what makes us happy, the process of cutting those items away often show us what truly is important to us.
As a personal testimony, watching my father slowly die from cancer allowed me to start to see his priorities slowly change over time. I was blessed to watch conversations that started about prioritizing money and careers tilting towards relationships he felt he mishandled until completely flipping importance. Money seemed to be a secondary concern while fostering meaningful relationships began to take precedence.
Though it is a hard process to see as a blessing, I was allowed to watch a man become a great mentor about how to love better while being less driven by career benchmarks. To some that may be an easy objective to understand, yet I was oblivious. I was also blessed with seeing him walk around his hospital bed, very feeble, praising God for His saving grace. Though I did not understand how that would impact me later, reanalyzing it, I am grateful to God for allowing me to unknowingly share in that moment.
Then Peter began to say unto him, Lo, we have left all, and have followed thee. And Jesus answered and said, Verily I say unto you, There is no man that hath left house, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my sake, and the gospel's, but he shall receive an hundredfold now in this time, houses, and brethren, and sisters, and mothers, and children, and lands, with persecutions; and in the world to come eternal life. But many that are first shall be last; and the last first. Mark 10:28-31 KJV
Although my ignorance seemed to justify my start, it allowed me to better see where work was needed for my own testimonies for God. Holding on to the promise above, you will never lose anything that God will not replace or add to you immeasurably beyond the start. Nothing will be lost that cannot be fulfilled by God, allowing us to receive an abundant life that surpasses even our own selfish desires within this world. Start the conversation - you will not be disappointed.
Please join me in prayer:
Heavenly Father, we thank You for the many promises within the Bible that You continue to hold true. Please continue to remind us of Your mercy and grace that abounds forever more. Expand our hedges of protection, our mindfulness of Your presence, our tongue to speak Your peace, our eyes to see Your works and our ears to hear Your living word. Encourage us to shine as a light within a world attempting to distract us with shadows. Thank You for You. Thank you for Jesus. Thank you for the Holy Spirit. Amen!
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