Learning to really pray

"Next to the wonder of seeing my Savior will be, I think, the wonder that I used so little of the power of prayer" D.L. Moody

I have always struggled with the business of prayer.  I never grasped the importance until I was in college and from there I struggled be consistent.  I guess we probably all struggle with something when it comes to spiritual growth.  It is one thing that I really want to grow in.  One thing that I want to become more strong.  How many times have I heard people say that their mom was a "prayer warrior."  I want to be a prayer warrior!  

 I decided to study the Lord's prayer and write a verse for each section of it.  Starting with "Our Father."  Because God is my father I can come to Him in prayer.  He loves me and takes care of me.  

Romans 8:15 "For ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear, but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father."

How amazing that we can call our Heavenly Father, Abba, which means Daddy.  I think of my children when I think of this verse.  When they cry Daddy, Daddy runs to take care of them.  He stops what he is doing to help.  Just now my husband was mowing the lawn while the kids were playing outside.  My daughter fell while running and I heard her cry out, "Daddy!" He stopped the mower and ran to help her up.  How much more our Heavenly Daddy wants to, and can, help us.  

Luke 11:13 says, "If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask Him."

God loves us so much more than our earthly fathers.  Sometimes that is hard for me to think that someone could love me more than my earthly father and mother.  They took such great care of me while I was young and continue to show me love now that I am grown with my own children.  But my Heavenly Father loves me so much more.  

Our Father.  He is our Father.  We can come to him for anything.  We can come to him to sit and talk about life, it's heartaches, and it's joys!  We can learn from Him and grow closer to Him, and eventually we will see Him.  Our Father.

God is so good to me and I am so weak.  I fall and falter.  I fail Him over and over again.  Yet, if we are His children, if we are saved by God's grace and Jesus' blood, we can cry out to Him and He will pick us up 

Psalm 40:1-2 "I waited patiently for the Lord; and he inclined unto me, and heard my cry.  He brought me up also out of an horrible pit, out of the miry clay, and set my feet upon a rock, and established my goings." 

Our Heavenly Father loves us so much.  He never gives up on us.  He never throws in the towel and says, "What is your problem!" Although He probably could so many times.  He is so patient and loving.  Just keep thinking of that.  Our Father.  When you pray tonight or tomorrow morning, start out by thanking God for being Our Father, our heavenly Daddy!  Thank Him that He loves us and cares for us so much.

As I continue to learn to pray, to use the power of prayer that God gives us, I hope I can strive towards being a prayer warrior.  To come boldly to the throne of grace.  To ask and knock and continue to knock!  

"Mind how you pray.  Make a real business of it. Let it never be a dead formality." Charles Spurgeon