Prayer: Communicating with God!

Another way to define talking with God is "prayer." That, of course, brings up images of "religion" again, and the reality of exactly what prayer is gets cast aside. Because we deal with the 5 senses, speaking to the air becomes less real than speaking to a person face to face or on the phone.

When we focus on our 5 physical senses alone, we tend to get tunnel vision and it becomes difficult to take prayer seriously. The bottom line is this. The reality of life is that spirit is the source of all that exists. All matter and our very thoughts interact with this spirit, even though we aren't physically aware of it. The important point is that God IS AWARE OF IT. When the Bible discusses the greatness of God, it is referring to God's nature which permeates the universe and everything in it. THAT IS HOW GOD CAN KNOW EVERYONE'S thoughts, AND BE AWARE OF ALL THAT OCCURS.

So what exactly is prayer? It is a way of FOCUSING our communication with God. It is a real, spiritual event that allows our minds to be directed toward the reality of God, and to actually BUILD a relationship with Him. It IS a very real spiritual event that accomplishes spiritual growth.

As much as we would all love it, prayer isn't a physical event that assures us that there really IS someone listening. We don't get any reply, "funny feeling" sparks, or anything else "mysterious." It is simple communication from your mind to the mind of God, and it is a vital way to build a real relationship with God. But, ARE THERE PRAYERS THAT GOD DOES NOT HEAR?

Proverbs 28:9 "One who turns away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer [is] an abomination."

Isaiah 59:2 "But your iniquities have separated between you and your God, and your sins have hid [his] face from you, that he will not hear."

POINT: God can't and won't build a relationship with anyone who is WILLFULLY or WILLINGLY sinning. People who KNOW they are making the wrong choices and living the wrong way, WILL NOT BE ABLE TO REACH GOD WITH ANYTHING. They are wasting their time. In addition, those who REFUSE to even consider the truth of God, or won't listen and study for themselves any "new" material, their prayers to God are detestable in His sight. God knows the true heart of mankind, whether we are sincerely searching for the truth or not.

Matthew 6:7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen [do.] For they think that they will be heard for their many words."

POINT: Christ warns people about using "prayers" that are nothing more than useless repetitive words that have NO SPIRITUAL IMPACT in their lives. These words are vainly used by those who think various "memorized" prayers have some magical or mystical power to influence God to do or not do something. Many people DON'T SEE GOD AS A REAL BEING, but as some sort of "mechanical" robot that "responds" to certain "incantations," or series of words. Such actions do nothing to build a relationship with God.

No wonder we can't take His existence seriously. If we presume He is some sort of weird being who is gratified in some perverted way by our talking, or penance or repetitive prayers, rosary or any other similar practices, we can't possibly relate to Him.

Imagine having a relationship with your wife, husband or friend where all you did is recite a bunch of words to them. Do you really think you could build a meaningful relationship with that person that way? Obviously not. Neither can anyone expect to build a relationship with the living God that way. But think about it. What better way to have people involved with a FORM of religion. . .

Mark 7:7 "Howbeit in vain do they worship me, teaching [for] doctrines the commandments of men..."

and a FORM of prayer. . .

Matthew 6:7 "And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen [do.] For they think that they will be heard for their many words..."

and yet STILL KEEP THEM COMPLETELY OFF TRACK?

The more you understand the difference between what a true relationship with God consists of and what traditional religion holds up to be true religion, the sooner you can make some dramatic changes in your life and future.

Prayer is simply speaking to God from the heart about whatever you need to talk about. Christ's example of HOW to pray reveals some key points. Notice that Christ DIDN'T tell us to REPEAT what He spoke as an example. He tells us to use His prayer as a SAMPLE of HOW AND WHAT TO PRAY ABOUT.

Matthew 6:9-14 "In this manner, therefore, pray: Our Father in heaven, Hallowed be Your name. 10 Your kingdom come. Your will be done On earth as [it is] in heaven. 11 Give us this day our daily bread. 12 And forgive us our debts, As we forgive our debtors. 13 And do not lead us into temptation, But deliver us from the evil one. For Yours is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Amen."

Notice the highlights that Christ listed. God first, His will, our sins. But there are many other things to pray for in life. Prayer focuses our minds on the important issues of life, not just for ourselves but for others. We need to learn how to THINK like God and by focusing on others along with ourselves, we begin to realize a relationship that exists between ALL people, as God sees it. Prayer is a tool we use to connect with God. Prayer can be formal prayer, as it should consist of, AND it can be when we are out doing anything at all. Bringing God into EVERY ASPECT of our lives brings His reality into focus in our minds.

Matthew 4:4 "But He answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread (physical things) alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God."

POINT: Applying EVERY WORD of what God instructs in His communication with man is the only way we can come to a more complete knowledge and understanding of the reality of God and His plan for mankind.

Luke 18:1 "Then He spoke a parable to them, that men always ought to pray and not lose heart,"

POINT: There are many scriptures throughout the Bible about prayer and encouragement to pray. They are there for a reason. It took mankind a long time to realize that there was such a thing as radio waves, and even the idea was laughable at one point. However, we use them regularly today without a second thought.

Is it really that hard to stretch your mind to contemplate life that is non-physical, existing in another form and dimension? Is it difficult to believe that thought can transcend physics, BECAUSE IT'S NOT LIMITED BY PHYSICS? There is only ONE ultimate reality, and it exists beyond our 5 senses. ALL mankind will come to see that, and MOST will even experience it. The problem is what happens between now and then. For that information, go to the Prophecy Page!

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