WHAT TRIGGERS YOUR PRAYERS?
The following was previously shared by the MBUMC Prayer Ministry in May 2015.
Do you suppose that most people pray at the same triggers? In some locations bells peal out when it’s time to pray. Perhaps the traditional bells of mindfulness, which are meals, bedtimes, departures, births, illnesses and deaths trigger you to pray by signaling you to be aware of your Heavenly Father. Some people pray with thanksgiving when they awaken, because waking up in the morning is not a given.
Recently the question of what causes us to pray arose. Probably most of us intend to pray more often than we actually pray, simply because of busyness and distractions. Perhaps it is well to select your own personal phenomena that can trigger a moment of communication with our Creator.
You may wish to consider praying anytime you savor beauty; anytime you feel blessed; before any kind of test; when any stress is felt; when any concern arises.
Prayers are not recipes, they are communications with our Creator, who wants to hear from us.
As we pray and study the Bible we find ourselves drawn closer to our Lord God. Over time, our prayers cause these changes in us:
- We progress from the level of relationship with Him as our Sovereign Creator who fulfills our needs
- to considering Him as our Savior when we begin to really want to pray.
- Then we move deeper toward His heart and think of Him as our Father. We find ourselves wanting to please Him. Prayer flows out of our hearts as He invites us to explore His glory, purposes and power.
- As we draw closer to Him and know the dimensions of His character, we are better able to sense what He wants, and His desires become our desires.
- Next we experience Him as our Companion and prayer becomes an exciting two-way interchange.
- We reach the very heart of God and savor our relationship with Him as our Intimate Friend.
- We spend time quietly and joyfully savoring His presence, soaking in His love and peace.
Today is always a good time to talk with God.
