The Way We Talk To God
This morning I went to have some prayer time, and realized that the first words out of my mouth were those of request: “God, can you please…” I immediately felt convicted about the way I sometimes use prayer as a petition list of “gimme.” The thing is, if I take a moment and think about my relationship with God in the context of an earthly marriage, it highlights just how dysfunctional a solely “gimme” dialogue would be.
Can you imagine if first thing I said to my husband every morning was, “Hi, honey. Can I have a new car? Can you make my waist smaller? Can you give me more money?” On top of being thoroughly confused, I’m sure he’d also be downright annoyed. We are in a mutual relationship of love, and if the only time I talk to him is to ask for things, our relationship would burn out quicker than a hot wax candle. My husband and I have to take the time to talk about our days, our hopes, our desires, and then, other times, we simply need to love on one another and affirm our commitment and bond.
The same is true with God, and to a much higher degree and extent. I can’t only talk to Him to tell Him what I want. Don’t get me wrong, He has no problem with hearing those requests, but it just cannot be the only time we communicate. For one thing, where is the time when I simply sit and listen to Him talk, which is equally as important? For another, it does me no good to forget just how much of my life He has restored, redeemed, and repaired. Thanking Him for those things is about a lot more than nostalgia. My own faith is encouraged and strengthened when I think of His goodness. Also, when I worship Him, I am suddenly reminded of how great He is and how small I am. My problems take on new perspective, and my heart is lifted.
Today, remember to make time for all aspects of communication between you and God. Don’t just sit there and laundry list your wants, but really talk. Let Him talk, too, and be reminded of His infinite power. You’ll likely find that your needs are met and more so, your needs will change when you are living a life in the light and perspective of eternity in a thriving, active relationship with God.
