How is your Prayer life? If you are like me, you wish it would be better. Tim Keller writes in his book, Prayer https://timothykeller.com/books/prayer, that it should be like the medication you take daily to make sure you remain healthy. You know it is important and therefore, you try never to take the pills. Prayer should be the same way. Taking the time to pray daily helps us live our lives in the way in which God intended. Through the help of the Holy Spirit it brings us into a relationship with our Father. Craig Denison describes it this way. “”If you ask for a deeper friendship with the Holy Spirit, you will find he is the best friend you have ever known. This is because “friendship with the Spirit is like any other friendship in that it develops over time. Like a new friend, you must get to know his character and personality. Spend time just talking with him, listening to him and allowing him to work in your heart and life. Prayer is your gateway to experiencing the things of God. Walk in relationship with him, follow his guidance, and make a new best friend in the Holy Spirit.”
For the regular readers of this blog, you know I wrote about having the proper “swing thoughts” as we go through our days. The Masters was this week. I read two different stories that helped me think about why we might find it hard to pray regularly.
The first was about someone who caddied for someone who was playing in the same group with Tiger Woods. When he found out that this was happening, his first thought was, “what will I say to him if I get a chance?” He didn’t want to say something stupid. He wondered if Tiger would even acknowledge him. This is true for many of us when trying to pray effectively. “What is it God wants for me to say to Him?” “Does He even care what is going on in my life?” This Holy Week answers that question. He sent His Son to die for us BECAUSE He wants to be in a relationship with Him. That relationship allows us to communicate with Him. Like Craig Denison shared, “Prayer allows us to develop a stronger friendship with God so that can develop the the proper “swing thoughts” on how to live.
The second story was about the Scottie Sheffler who won The Masters even though he four putted the 18th hole. It solidified his #1 ranking in the world but Jim Denison shared this interesting fact. “Before Scheffler could win the tournament, he had to do something very important a few months ago: RSVP to his invitation to play. According to the New York Times, Augusta National sends invitations each year to golfers it wishes to invite to the tournament. They must signal their intention to play before they are permitted to compete.”
Want to be better about praying? Like Scottie Scheffler, You must first signal your intention to receive the gift God has for you. https://www.beliefnet.com/columnists/idolchatter/2022/04/masters-champion-scottie-scheffler-says-he-plays-golf-to-glorify-god.html He has invited you to be in relationship with Him. Your first prayer needs to be, “Thank you Lord for giving the opportunity to communicate with You.” Then know it doesn’t matter what we say as long as it is sincere and honest because He really does care what is going on in your life. One prayer will lead to another and your faith will become stronger as you watch those prayers being answered. Why not make this Holy Week a significant moment in our life? Where you began to pray regularly with the proper swing thoughts allowing you to see life from God’s perspective. Close your eyes. Let your swing thoughts be Seeing (Visualize) it, Feeling the Love He has for you, and then being free to let yourself trust Him for the outcome versus trying to do it all on your own.
Happy Easter week everyone. For those of your in Charlottesville, join us for an Easter Sunrise Service in the UVA Amphitheater. We will be there from 6:45 am to 8:00 am. Please subscribe to this blog if you want email notifications for when new content is posted. I can be reached via email at [email protected]
