As you consider try praying, you may wonder if a god is there. Maybe God is closer than you think.
Is There a God?
Imagine a conversation between twins in the womb. Stupid idea, because they can’t talk. But go with it for a minute:
One says, “We’ve got a mother who has made us and is all around us. One day we will meet her.”
The other says, “I’m not so sure about this idea of a mother.
I don’t think there is anything outside this life. We’ve got all
we need and we’ve got each other. There is nothing more than we can see and feel here. I find the idea of having ‘a mother’ rather unscientific, amusing in fact.”
Whether they believe in a mother or not their world will soon be shaken by enormous contractions.
Ok, illustrations are limited, but the point is someone is closer than you think. There’s an old saying that “In him (God) we live and move and have our being.”
People often struggle to find God in their lives, but the truth is he’s all around us. We can reach out for him and find him because, in fact, he is not far from anyone.
God is interested in us and we are in some way made like him – in his image. It makes knowing him a genuine option.
Here’s a piece of conversation between Jesus and a man who wanted his son to be healed – encouragement from Jesus and honesty from the father. Jesus said:
“Everything is possible for one who believes.” Immediately the boy’s father exclaimed, “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!”
Something you can do today…
Try Praying
Ask God to help you believe. Use your own words, or you
could say this: “God, it feels a little strange talking to you,
but I’m giving it a go. Perhaps you are closer than I think. If that’s true then I’m not going to ask for a sign, but I am going to ask that you will remove anything that stops me from seeing you.”
Phone
Every time you pick up your phone pray, “God, I need communication with you.”
Your big issue
- If you have an issue in your life in which you need God to make a difference, pray about it. Ask him about it right now. Be encouraged – all things are possible with God.
- Have you a friend or family member who needs help? Why not pray for them each day this week as well?
How Do We Pray?
Praying isn’t just for the religious. Most people admit to praying at some time in their life even if they have given up on it later.
Jesus prayed. He seemed to have access to God like no one else. He was always doing miracles and teaching about life. But he also spent much time in prayer and taught about it. What did he say?
He said that faith was a crucial ingredient. He always responded to faith. On one occasion he said, “Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it and it will be yours.” Prayer is not simply about the words we say it’s about what we are thinking on the inside.
Jesus also said that forgiveness was important. “And whenever you stand praying, if you hold anything against anyone, forgive them so that your Father in heaven may forgive you.” Forgiveness is a kind of currency.
If we use it in our relationship with others then we will have it in our relationship with God.
Another ingredient is to keep going. He gave many illustrations about this: a woman keeping on at a magistrate until he granted her request; a friend banging on the door at midnight until he got what he needed. It seems that praying for something until we get it is what God invites us to do. Giving up at the first set back is not an option.
We have to be willing to accept God’s answers when they come which of course can be “yes”, “no” or “wait”. Submitting our lives to his will is really the best thing for us. Praying with others and in harmony with them are other principles.
Perhaps we should check that there is nothing in our lives which offends God. If we cling to wrong doing in an area of our life then he will not hear our prayer. We can’t claim to know God and live a life which
is inconsistent with that relationship.
But the foundation for all prayer is knowing God in a personal way. That is what Jesus has made possible.
Ask and it will be given to you.
© There is Hope 2015.
Read the Other Posts in the Trypraying Series
You can read the other posts in our trypraying series as they are published here:
Find out more
You can find out more about trypraying basingstoke 2019 by reading this post.
You can also follow us on social media, where we will be posting about trypraying every day between 1-18 June 2019:
You can visit the website trypraying.co.uk which also gives access to the trypraying app and other useful articles.
You could attend the trypraying basingstoke prayer event being held at London Street URC on Sunday 9 June 2019 from 6:30-8:30pm. You’d be most welcome.
Or you can contact OneChurch Basingstoke direct, using the form on our Contact page.
What have you got to lose?
Pick up your free booklet from the train station or a church near you. God wants to hear from you!
