Life’s Like This — For those of us that embrace a belief in God, the act of praying should be a natural extension of our faith. It is difficult to have a relationship with God without invoking the power of prayer. Yet, even knowing that we were created by God and are meant to have a personal relationship with Him, we often neglect prayer as a daily part of our lives. To pray means to place our hopes, fears and concerns in a God that we cannot see. It means putting our trust and faith, and at times, our very lives, in His hands. There are so many reasons to pray, but perhaps the greatest reason is that it follows the example Jesus Christ set when he taught us to say, The Lord’s Prayer [Matthew, Ch:6, 9-13]. The act of praying is also a demonstration of our love for God. It is a way of exalting Him and recognizing that it is only by His love and grace that we are able to enjoy this gift of life. Quite often, we only turn to God when there is something terribly wrong in our lives — when we are facing a crisis and know of no other way to get through the crisis then by going to God in prayer. Prayer is a source of comfort and hope that we should all embrace as part of a loving relationship with God but there are other reasons to pray. The reasons for offering up prayers to God is as numerous as each soul, each life, that God created and placed on this earth. He loves each of us and wants us to have a personal relationship with Him. But to have a fruitful relationship with God, we need to take the time to talk with Him and to listen to what He wants to share with us. And in order to hear God, we need to have a heart and mind open and receptive to hearing His voice. Sometimes, the biggest impediment to talking to Him is because we are ashamed or embarrased to show others that we care about our relationship with God.
Life's Like This 