Week 1 || Day 5
PURPOSE OF PRAYER: TO COMMUNICATE WITH GOD.
Prayer is our way of communicating with God. It strengthens the bond between God and His children. It isn’t simply asking God for things; God is not a genie to be at our beck-and-call. We don’t come before God in order to manipulate Him. Prayer, instead, is our asking God to bring us closer to Him. Prayer is a time to bring our trouble to Him, to confess our sins to Him and repent for them, to bring our praises to Him, to lift others up in prayer, and to spend time enjoying Him and allowing Him to enjoy us. Prayer is a two-way conversation and we do the power of prayer a disservice if all we do is talk. The best conversations that we will ever have are conversations where we listen and share. It should be a goal of prayer to quieting ourselves to listen to God. There is so much that the Father God desires to tell you.
Illustration:
In June of 2013 news broadcasts across the country featured a little boy named Grayson Clamp doing something he had never done before. The three-year-old was born without the auditory nerves that carry sound to the brain. Attempts to restore his hearing with a cochlear implant were unsuccessful, so doctors at the University of North Carolina tried an experimental procedure to implant an auditory nerve directly into Grayson’s brain. This procedure proved successful, and millions of people enjoyed seeing the look of wonder and joy on the little boy’s face when he heard his father’s voice for the first time.
Today with the technology available communication is instant—but even then it is a delight to hear from a friend or family member who is far away. Just as we respond to those familiar voices with pleasure, God delights in hearing from His children.
Why do we pray? Certainly it is not to inform God of what we need. He already knows everything about our situation, and, far better than we could devise, He knows the answer that will be best for us. Prayer is meant in part to remind us of how dependent on God we truly are. But prayer is not just for our benefit. God enjoys hearing us pray! When we come to Him in faith and make our petitions before His throne of grace, His heart rejoices. He likes hearing our voices. Let us never go long without going to Him in prayer.
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Kids SEEK, too!
Kids’ Illustration:
Praying is communicating with God. Sometimes we listen, and sometimes we share. God loves hearing what we have to share. Sometimes it can be serious and sometimes it can be silly. Below are some letters that kids just like you have written to God:
Dear God:
“I didn’t think orange went with purple until I saw the sunset You made on Tuesday. That was cool.”
“Instead of letting people die and having to make new ones, why don’t You keep the ones You already have?”
“Maybe Cain and Abel would not have killed each other if they had their own rooms. That’s what my Mom did for me and my brother.”
“I bet it is very hard to love everyone in the whole world. There are only four people in our family and I’m having a hard time loving all of them.”
“In school they told us what You do. Who does it when You are on vacation?”
“Did You mean for the giraffe to look like that or was it an accident?”
“Who draws the lines around the countries?”
“I went to this wedding and they kissed right in the church. Is that OK?”
“Thank You for the baby brother, but I think you got confused because what I prayed for was a puppy.”
“I want to be just like my Daddy when I get big, but not with so much hair all over.”
“I think about You sometimes, even when I’m not praying.”
“Of all the people who worked for You, I like Noah and David the best.”
“I would like to live 900 years just like the guy in the Bible.”
“We read Thomas Edison made light. But in Sunday school they said You did it. So, I bet he stole Your idea.”
“Please send a new baby for Mommy. The baby you sent last week cries too much.”
“Thank you for the nice day today. You even fooled the TV weather man.”
“Please help me in school. I need help in spelling, adding, history, geography, and writing. I don’t need help in anything else.”
- source unknown
Kids’ Activities for Today’s Prayer Focus:
VIDEO About Prayer
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Bible:
“Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:16 ESV)
“My sheep hear my voice, and I know them, and they follow me. I give them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.” (John 10:27-28 ESV)
“Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths. Lead me in your truth and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation; for you I wait all the day long.” (Psalm 24:4-5 ESV)
“Behold, I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in to him and eat with him, and he with me.” (Revelation 3:20 ESV)
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Quotes for Today:
"Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference." - Max Lucado
"The Christian life is not a constant high. I have my moments of deep discouragement. I have to go to God in prayer with tears in my eyes, and say, 'O God, forgive me,' or 'Help me.'" - Billy Graham
"Prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day." - Joyce Meyer
"Prayer should not be regarded as a duty which must be performed, but rather as a privilege to be enjoyed, a rare delight that is always revealing some new beauty." - E.M. Bounds
"And so I urge you: carry on an ongoing conversation with God about the daily stuff of life, a little like Tevye in Fiddler on the Roof. For now, do not worry about 'proper' praying, just talk to God.” - Richard J. Foster
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Points to Ponder:
If you easily get lost in your prayers, it is okay to use a prayer help. One such help is the acronym, P.R.A.Y. After each section of prayer, take some time to pause and allow God to speak to you. Often, after I’ve repented for confessed sins, God will gently remind me that I am His child and He loves that, even in my broken state, I want to come and spend time with Him. My prayers must look silly to anyone looking in on them because there is often a lot of silence as I listen to the Lord.
P- Praise and worship God
R - Repent as you confess sins and shortcomings
A - Adoration and thanksgiving
Y - Your needs and desires
When it comes to prayer, we often get caught up in how awkward we can feel. Push through! Even things that don’t require a great deal of effort take time to get the hang of.
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CLOSING PRAYER: Dear Heavenly Father, we are so thankful for the ability to be your sons and daughters. That we are free to have a personal relationship with the Creator of the Universe is beyond our imagination. We are grateful that you are not a dictator - that you desire for us to share with you. What a gracious God you are to not only provide the sacrifice for our sins by way of your son, Jesus, but to listen to us as we bumble through our lists of transgressions. Even in our own yuck, you comfort us and help guide us back to your path. In our joys, you rejoice with us and push us to grow in humility. We are so very thankful for all that you are, and for giving us fresh revelations of your character as we seek You. It’s in Jesus’ precious name we pray. Amen.
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