Prayer Requires Believing

Modeling is a beautiful way to learn a new skill. How astounding that God gives us a model for prayer in His Son Jesus! The first key feature is belief. Jesus simply speaks to His Father. This should come across as shocking when we ourselves do it. God is on one side and His entire creation is on the other side of the great ontological divide. God is terrifyingly powerful, yet we can call Him Father! What an astounding privilege. He is infinite, we are finite. He is holy, we are sinful. Yet we can have a relationship of intimacy and concern in spite of our rebellion. He didn't leave us in our hostility toward Him, but He makes us children through the agony and blood of Jesus. he adopted us into the family of God. Prayer starts with clinging to God as family! There was a time when this didn't matter to us, but now we are called to make this the most yearned-for communion in our lives. Do I believe that this is everything to me? Do we--on the opposite side--feel like orphans? Do you come like a victim? Do you come feeling unwanted? You need to hear that you are loved and cared for by God. God cares for you as much as He cares for Jesus! It is not commendable to come to God with an unworthy attitude--it is an insult to the work of Christ. Don't come to your Father in shame when He has taken your shame away. This is your primary responsibility as a Christian--enjoy the Father's love for you. You need to work to do this. Pray toward this deliberately.