Searching for Truth

We generally enjoy talking to those whom we love deeply. In prayer, we should enjoy God. It is important when we pray, to pause and remember the wonderful reality of Who it is we are talking to. Whenever we are in the presence of the One who fulfills the deepest longings of our souls, wonderful things can happen. The concerns of our little world pale in comparison to the One who made the heavens with its billions of stars spanning endless light years. Allow yourself to focus on God alone. We should be completely awestruck in the presence of God. He is the most fascinating, amazing, intelligent, powerful, wonderful, holy, loving, compassionate, gentle, kind, and perfect person we know. It is sad when people are enamored with athletes, politicians, actors, musicians, and scholars, yet are so seldom enamored with God. When we come to God in prayer we should bow in amazed reverence. Not only should we remember what God has made, what He has done, and what He is doing, causing us to pray to...

As we consider Jesus’ life and activities, we soon learn that He was a man of prayer. Since Jesus thought it important to His soul to pray, it is good for our souls as well. Prayer is perhaps one of the most popular spiritual disciplines, but too often, praying has not had the transforming effects that we might hope for. Prayer can help us connect with God, but we may need to be open to learn to pray. It is likely that Jesus’ disciples were praying men whenever they asked Him to teach them how to pray. Perhaps they had begun to realize that Jesus’ prayers seemed different than their own. Paul affirms that there are times when “we do not know how to pray as we should” (Romans 8:26). It is doubtful that we pray as often as we should. Sometimes we go through periods where we may become negligent in our praying. Sometimes whenever we do pray, we don’t feel comfortable, or don’t know what to say. Each of us can learn how to pray more like Jesus prayed. Prayer is about getting to know God. P...

In solitude, quiet meditation and reflection frequently leads to confession of our sins, which very naturally leads to prayer. Prayer helps us to connect with God, to know Him, and to build a deep, intimate, and abiding relationship with Him. In meaningful relationship with God, our souls are transformed to be more like Jesus. Learning and growing in prayer, then, is an important part of the process of spiritual transformation. The best way to begin a meaningful prayer life is to simply start now with who you are, wherever you may be, and with whatever you can give. Augustine once prayed, “Lord, you stir us to take pleasure in praising you, because you have made us for yourself, and our heart is restless until it rests in you.” Our current situation often drives us to pray. Recognizing our needs turns us to God for help, comfort, guidance, endurance, and strength. We often pray about those things that fill our everyday lives. We usually pray about our family, our job, our financial ...