Growing Closer to God Through Prayer

Think about someone that you cherish… a best friend, a spouse, a parent, or any person you care for deeply… what characterizes your relationship with them? What contributes to it being meaningful?

Of the many things that come to mind, one that stands out to me is that relationships require mutual engagement, with both parties equally invested.

Prayer is one of the ways through which we're invited to know God... to talk to God, to hear from God, to be in a real relationship with God.

An important part of getting to know God is through an increased awareness of all the ways in which God is at work in our lives.

In prayer, one of the ways we do that is by remembering, thanking, and praising God for who God is and how God has worked in our lives and in the world. Keeping a prayer or gratitude journal is one way to do this. 

Grab a notebook, write down the date, consider these prompts, and pray:

• Today I’m thankful for… • Prayers & praise • Answered prayers

One of the prayer practices I have been working to develop is listening for and communing with God. I read His Word and then sit in silence and listen for what He has to say that I can apply specifically to my life. This is a form of prayer that enhances my relationship with God. It is putting myself in the position of a child receiving instruction from my Father. Recently I read the Biblical account about Zechariah the priest, John the Baptist’s father, in Luke 1. When I was done reading I quieted myself and below are the words that I wrote in my journal…

“One day Zechariah was serving God in the temple, for his order was on duty that week.” (Luke 1:8) … An ordinary day, a regularly scheduled time, a “nothing to see here” kind of day. Then, whoa ... an angel of the Lord ... a proclamation of a baby filled with the Holy Spirit who prepares the way for the coming of Jesus ... parenting for the barren and elderly. Suddenly it’s a “kind of a big deal” day. And here is a miracle for us in this story. God speaks into our ordinary, routine lives when we least expect it! What it tells me is that the “liturgy of the ordinary,” the choice daily to spend time reading the Scriptures and listening for God’s voice is SO IMPORTANT because we don’t know when our extraordinary moments will come. The routine prepares us for the wondrous. I choose to take time to seek You, God, in my everyday life in anticipation of Your ongoing, miraculous work in me.

But as for me, I will watch expectantly for the Lord. I will wait for the God of my salvation. My God will hear me. Micah 7:7  

God spoke to me in very clear terms about the importance of regular time in prayer and study of His Word. I’m not smart enough to come up with this stuff on my own. Communing with God, having a “conversation” back and forth, is life giving and life changing!

— Karen Hassman , Christ Church Community Member