[Faith-talk] FW: [thefamilyoffaith] Charles Stanley - Conversation With God

[Eric Calhoun]

Original Message: 
From: "thefamilyoffaith" <TheFamilyofFaith at tampabay.rr.com>
To: <thefamilyoffaith at yahoogroups.com>
Subject: [thefamilyoffaith] Charles Stanley -  Conversation With God
Date: 
Mon, 24 Oct 2011 13:08:29 -0400



Conversation With God

Do you ever wonder why your prayers seem lifeless-as if something were
missing? Do you ever look back on your time with God and think,
Communicating with the Creator of the universe should probably be more
satisfying than this. Am I doing something wrong? 

Prayer is one of the most awesome privileges that God has given us, but
it doesn't always feel that way. Although we have the opportunity to come
boldly to the heavenly Father whenever we please, sometimes we may question
whether our attempts to communicate with Him really matter. Sure, we're
quick to seek Him when suffering or trouble knocks at our door, but really,
what else is prayer for?

The Priority of Prayer 
Think about your closest friend. How did that friendship develop? Most
likely, it required conversation and time spent together. Cultivating a
vibrant relationship with the Lord is exactly the same, and prayer is the
avenue of our communication with Him. Without it, God may seem like a
stranger. He knows us inside and out, but unless we make prayer a priority
in our lives, we won't know Him. And to miss out on knowing the Lord
intimately is a great tragedy.

The Christian life isn't merely about how much you serve, how generously
you give, or how faithfully you attend church. Rather, these things should
result from a close relationship with God. And growing in oneness with Him
requires that we set aside time to be alone with Him and experience His
awesome presence. Intimacy will not happen any other way.

If you want to see a perfect example of this kind of close relationship,
just look at Jesus. Even though He was the sinless Son of God-and Deity
Himself-He made prayer a priority. Mark 1:29-39 gives us a vivid
description of one day in His life. After teaching all morning in the
synagogue, He went to Peter's house and healed the disciple's
mother-in-law. Word of the miracle quickly spread, and when evening came,
the whole city gathered at the door. Yet even after a busy night of casting
out demons and healing the sick, Jesus got up early in the morning while it
was still dark and went away to a secluded place to pray. Soon Peter and
the others found Him, and another demanding day began.

As we read through the Gospels, we see the pattern of that story repeated
throughout Jesus' time on earth. Luke 5:16 tells us He would "often slip
away to the wilderness and pray." In fact, on one occasion when He had a
really big decision to make (choosing His disciples), "He spent the whole
night in prayer to God" (Luke 6:12-13). Time with His Father was not a
matter of convenience but an absolute necessity that at times required
sacrifice.

If Jesus considered communing with the Father so essential, shouldn't we
follow His example? We need to develop a practice of consistently spending
extended time alone with God. And remember, prayer is a two-way
conversation. So in order to hear His voice speaking to our hearts, we
should include the Bible when we pray. Through God's Word, the Holy Spirit
guides us about what to ask, and He also illuminates passages so we get to
know God's character, ways, and promises. Then, as we open our hearts to
receive His instruction, faith deepens and our lives come into alignment
with His will.

Hindrances to Prayer 
In spite of all God's promises and how much we need Him from moment to
moment, we still have a tendency to let prayer become secondary in our
lives.
To help you evaluate and recognize what priority you are currently
placing on prayer, answer this question: How much time did you spend with
the Lord in the past week, just the two of you alone together (and I don't
mean in your car on the way to work)? Could you come up with even 5, 10, or
15 minutes? Perhaps it's time for a little self-examination to determine
whether anything is keeping you from giving prayer top priority in your
life.

Busyness. For many Christians, a demanding schedule is probably the
biggest obstacle to setting aside time for the Lord. Our fast-paced culture
demands so much of us that we are in danger of pursuing urgent and
immediate goals while missing the one thing that is the most essential to
our spiritual health and, ultimately, our enduring success: intimacy with
God. Have you allowed anything to become more important to you than your
relationship with the Father? Take some time to consider the long-term
ramifications of your pursuits. So much of what we do means nothing in
eternity, but time spent with the Lord now always reaps eternal benefits.

Disinterest. We generally make time for what we want to do. As difficult
as this truth may be, the reality is that sometimes we just aren't
interested in prayer. If God seems like a stranger, you may have no desire
to interact with Him. The solution to this problem is to get to know Him.
Since the Bible reveals who He is, that's the place to start. As you read
His Word, start a conversation by talking to the Lord and asking Him
questions. Then listen for His quiet voice speaking to your heart. As you
spend time with Him, your knowledge, trust, and love will grow until being
with Him becomes a delight.

Disappointment. Sometimes we give up on prayer because it appears as if
God isn't answering our requests. Continuing to ask seems fruitless, so we
stop. The problem here is two-fold. First, we have limited prayer to a
"request and receive" transaction, instead of focusing on building a
relationship with our loving heavenly Father. Second, we've made an
assumption that if we don't get what we asked, it was wasted time and
effort. However, God is too wise and loving to fulfill every request. Like
a caring parent, He sifts our petitions through His perfect will and gives
us what is best, even if it causes disappointment or difficulty for the
time being.

Neglect. When life is running smoothly, blessings are flowing, and all
seems well, we may be tempted to forget about the Lord. We may even start
to think we can handle life on our own. Sadly, many Christians do this-they
seek God only when they find themselves helpless in a difficult situation.
But what was the Lord's purpose for creating man? He wants us to experience
deep fellowship and intimacy with Him. Although He may work through trials
to get our attention and draw us closer to Himself, we should not neglect
Him during seasons of blessing. James 1:17 tells us, "Every good thing
given and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father."
Our good times should remind us of how fully and wonderfully He provides
for us. We should take those opportunities to express our love and
gratitude to Him.

One of the main problems with neglecting prayer is that our spiritual
senses become dull. If that happens, we are in danger of failing to hear
God when He speaks through His Word. Not only that, but we also lack
discernment, because we cannot sense what He's doing in our lives.
In contrast, regularly cultivating a rich relationship with the Lord
brings great blessing. When trouble hits, you can discern His voice,
understand His purposes, and trust Him. The advantages of nurturing a close
relationship with God through prayer are endless and eternal. He has
promised amazing spiritual riches to those who make time with Him a
priority in their lives.

Commitment to a Prayerful Life 
A young pastor once asked me, "If you could tell me only one thing, what
would it be?" I told him that the most important part of his ministry was
his time alone with the Lord. If he let that slip, everything else in his
life would suffer. And I say the same thing to you: Maintaining an intimate
relationship with God is crucial if you are to be effective and fruitful in
your Christian life.

Most believers want to have a vibrant, meaningful experience with prayer.
Our problem is generally not a lack of desire but of commitment. Like
anything of true value, an intimate prayer relationship with God must be
pursued. It won't happen accidentally. Your schedule may need to be
rearranged, but any sacrifices will be nothing compared to what you will
gain. God takes great pleasure in meeting with you each day. Won't you give
Him this desire of His heart?

Do You Know God? 
You don't have to go through life alone. Jesus Christ died on the cross
to defeat sin and death, overcoming the vast chasm that sin created between
humanity and the Divine. And through the power of His resurrection, Jesus
offers all people an abundant new life in relationship with Him.

Scripture tells us that if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just
to forgive and cleanse us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9). Confess
your sin, invite Jesus into your life, and let the transformation begin.
You can use the following prayer or your own words:

Lord Jesus, I believe You are truly the Son of God. I confess that I have
sinned against You in thought, word, and deed. Please forgive all my
wrongdoing, and let me live in relationship with You from now on. I receive
You as my personal Savior, accepting the work You accomplished once and for
all on the cross. Thank You for saving me. Help me to live a life that is
pleasing to You. Amen.