Perhaps
first, we should understand that our prayer life should be animated by more
noble motives than mere obligation or duty.
To conceive of prayer in those terms is to misunderstand its glory, to
demean its worth, and to undermine the spontaneous pleasure and abundant
benefits of these moments of visitation
with God.
And,
in fact, that idea is actually the more mature view of prayer. In essence,
prayer is simply a wondrous conversational encounter between devoted friends. And,
who ever needed coercive motives to bring them to such an encounter? Certainly, no one I know.
Rather,
we cherish those moments with such friends. We eagerly anticipate them. We run headlong toward them. And, we make
them last as long as possible.
And,
why would we not? Out of those treasured
meetings come happily animated conversations.
And, among the outflows of those conversations are the ingredients for
personal growth. Often, shared memories bubble
to the surface with their attendant laughter or poignant tears. And, how often have we found great relief in these
valuable friendships as we suddenly discover the strength of another shoulder seeking,
in some loving way, to bear up with our own in an effort to lighten our load.
These
are all just part of the blessings which flow from a truly rich companionship. And the companionship of our Heavenly Father,
our loving Savior, and the Divine Spirit is no different. It is designed to be
the richest companionship of all.
Like nothing else, these
times of divine visitation hold the capacity to light up the heart of both God
and man. They heighten and make more
accurate our sense of God awareness. They
organically produce meaning, fulfillment, and a deepened devotion. And, it’s in
these times that our faith is made to be unflappable as we gain the divine
synergy which enables us to face down life’s challenges.
It is the
experience of all these glorious things, and many more, which eventually bring
to extinction any need for a sense of obligation or duty regarding prayer. Rather, in the place of those more coercive
motives, comes an infinitely more enjoyable one. It is simply the overflowing goodness of the
divine friendship. It is in the joy of
that goodness that the easy energy of spontaneous pursuit is effortlessly set
free within us.
The
simple reality is this. God can
talk. And, when we tap into the deep joys
of a conversation with Him, wondrous, life-changing, world-shaking things
happen in our heart, in our life circumstance, and in our relationship with
Him.
