The Intimacy of Prayer
Matthew 26:39 Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.”
When you pray, how do you pray? How were you taught to pray? And if you spoke to someone else the way you speak to God, would it make sense to them?
The sort of prayer that I was taught about when I was a kid growing up, was formal prayer. You’re meant to kneel down, bow your head, clasp your hands together and then come up with some really poignant, plausible, powerful words.
The problem with that is, that that’s not the sort of prayer that the Bible talks about, at all!
Take Jesus, just before He was crucified. We’re told that He threw Himself on the ground and prayed. He was under enormous pressure, so He poured His heart out to His Father in Heaven. He told Dad exactly what He was thinking and feeling.
Matthew 26:39 Then Jesus went on a little farther away from them. He fell to the ground and prayed, “My Father, if it is possible, don’t make me drink from this cup. But do what you want, not what I want.”
That’s Jesus praying to His Father in Heaven. It’s raw. It’s real. It’s … relational. Think about it. God loves you more than words can possibly ever say. And when you love someone that much, you want them to be real with you. You want them to pour their hearts out to you. You want them to tell you what’s really going on, right?
Well, your Dad in heaven is just the same. Your quiet times of prayer are the most intimate moments that you will ever have with God.
So … when was the last time that you poured your heart out to your Dad in Heaven? Hmm?
Raw. Real. Relational.
That’s God’s Word. Fresh … for you … today.
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