Earth to God - can you hear me?

podcast: https://www.pastorwoman.net/podcast/episode/1a49bdeb/earth-to-god-can-you-hear-me

"Earth to God" -https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fvMQ_xStg9M&list=RDfvMQ_xStg9M&start_radio=1

Most people pray.

But in talking with people about whether they set time apart to pray--to speak and listen to God--folks admit they intend to, but. . .

. . . if totally honest, they always get distracted. The darn phone!

. . . they are not sure their prayers really go anywhere or make any difference

. . . just don't get around to it very often.

But here's the thing, we who bear Christ's name want to become more like him. There is no looking at Jesus' life and missing the value he placed on prayer, so we must overcome any obstacles and make prayer our priority!

Making prayer a consistent daily morning discipline radically changed me.

And I found that regularly praying several specific elements has been great!

The four sections that order my thoughts toward my Heavenly Father, inviting him into my day are as follows--

Adoration: recognizing God for who he is

Confession: admission of our sin and asking God for forgiveness

Appeal: presenting my requests to God, for others and for myself

Thanks: offering my thanks to God for his good gifts, naming them

>note: when possible, I pray scripture back to God.

May I offer this prayer to you today? You can take it and use it as your own, or you can use it as a model to compose your thoughts to God.

I write my prayer each morning in a small journal:

Dear Heavenly Father,

AYou are worthy to receive glory and honor and power. For you created all things, and they exist because you created what you pleased.1 Let all that I am praise you, Lord. O Lord my God, how great you are! You are robed with honor and majesty.2 How good it is to be near you, God! I have made the Sovereign Lord my shelter, and I will tell everyone about the wonderful things you do.3

CI want to be right before you. Like David, I understand that if I held on to my sin, You would not hear my prayers.4

Search me, O God, know my heart.5 Cleanse me of sin and renew a right spirit in me.6 Would you refill me with your Holy Spirit--your power?7 Produce in me your love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control!8

A[Right here I draw a

CROSS and write the

names of those I love

who are far from God.]

"Lord, I carry them to you and ask that you would draw them to yourself! "

For those who need healing, I pray: Lord you said to bring the sick for the prayer of healing,9 so I carry each one to you by name. I boldly approach your throne of grace for mercy!10

For myself, Lord, I ask for your wisdom, and I know you will give it to me.11

I will look for your direction this day and listen for your voice, so that like Isaiah, whether I turn to the right or to the left, I will hear you saying 'this is the way, walk in it.'12

TAnd Lord, I just gotta say 'Thank you!' If I made the time right now to thank you for all of the ways you have been good to me, if I named all of the things for which I can say 'thank you' today, well--there wouldn't be enough paper. But for now, Lord, thank you for loving me. Thank you for your grace, your forgiveness and mercy. Thank you for your provision. Thank you, Lord, for life with you--here in this life and then forever! O God, you are so good.

All of these things I pray in the merciful mighty name of Jesus,

Amen

Listen: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnMqQgzpLAM&list=RDKnMqQgzpLAM&start_radio=1

You are as close to God as you want to be.

Christine



1 - Revelation 4.11; 2 - Psalm 104.1; 3 - Psalm 73.28; 4 - Psalm 66.18; 5 - Psalm 139.23; 6 - Psalm 51

7 - Ephesians 5.18; 8 - Galatians 5.22-23; 9 - James 5.14-16; 10 - Hebrews 4.16; 11 - James 1.5; 12 - Isaiah 30.21