“Pray continually” – 1 Thessalonians 5:17 (NIV)

When I looked up all the Bible references to prayer, I realized there are many ways to pray and many reasons for prayer.  You can stand up, kneel down, lift your hands up, have your face to the ground, place your hands on others, look towards heaven, pray alone or pray with others. 

Prayer has the power to shake a building, bring God near and heal people.  The Bible says that prayers reach all the way to heaven, and there is no doubt that God hears prayers.

We can pray however we want, whenever we want, about whatever we want.  We can pray when we’re changing diapers, working, doing dishes, playing, exercising, or watching HGTV.  We need never be lonely with God around. 

Prayer is simply talking to God.  And we can pray with spoken words or the longings of our hearts. God can hear what comes out of our mouths, as well as what goes on in our thoughts and hearts.  This used to scare me and I’d think I was in big trouble (especially concerning the thoughts and heart aspect – the spoken words I could change before they were heard if I had to, but the mind and heart I couldn’t change, they are what they are!).

But God is a wonderful forgiver, and He has always taken the good and the bad from me, and loved me just the same. 

If we are to “pray continually”, God will hear all kinds of things from us. My prayers have ranged from thanking God to yelling at Him.  But I believe He is just happy we are talking to Him and sharing life with Him – the good and the bad – He wants to be our best friend.  He wants to be your best friend.  And He’d love to talk with you about your life.  Always.

 – Written for the Oct/Nov 2009 Issue of Mom’s Moments.  www.momsmoments.ca/pdfs