Prayer: Father God, I thank you for this new day. I praise and worship you. Thank you for all the blessings that you have given me and thank you for your amazing love and for being my strong tower and helping me to live for Jesus, my saviour. Please speak to me today and help me to give you the worship you are worthy off.  And as I come before your throne of grace and mercy. I confess and acknowledge I have sinned against you in thought and deed, I ask you to forgive me and, in your grace, purify my heart and cleanse me from all unrighteousness. And in your great love lead me and help me to walk in the paths of righteousness, so that I may bring glory to you the one triune God. I now receive your forgiveness and mercy in the name of my Lord and saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.             

Scripture Reading for Prayer and Praise: Psalm 90:1-2

Lord, you have been our dwelling place throughout all generations.” Before the mountains were born or you brought forth the whole world, from everlasting to everlasting you are God.”

Worship song sung or said: O Lord Hear My Prayer (Taizé)

https://youtu.be/8BWKmahZgLM

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer;

When I call answer me.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer;

Come and listen to me.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer;

When I call answer me.

O Lord, hear my prayer,

O Lord, hear my prayer;

Come and listen to me.

Gods Word For Today: Colossians 4:2

"Devote yourselves to prayer, being watchful and thankful.”

Devotional/Study:

I love that song O lord hear my prayer. It makes me cry out to God. I wonder if we really know how amazing it is to be able to pray to God the creator of the world. If someone asked you, what is the greatest thing in life? I wonder what you would say.  Someone said this, the greatest thing in life is finding someone who knows all your mistakes and weaknesses and still loves you and thinks you’re the best thing in their life.” 

Brothers and sisters, the greatest thing in our lives is our personal relationship with the God of heaven, the creator of the universe. This is the God who knows all our mistakes and weaknesses but still loves us and demonstrated that love through our Lord and saviour Jesus. What Jesus did on the cross was so amazing it’s beyond words. I love these words “I stand amazed in the presence Of Jesus the Nazarene, and wonder how He could love me, A sinner condemned, unclean. How marvellous! How wonderful! And my song shall ever be: How marvellous! How wonderful! Is my Saviour’s love for me.” (Charles H. Gabriel).

One of the amazing things that happens when you become a follower of Jesus is we have the privilege to talk to the one triune God, the Father the Son and The Holy Spirit. Whenever I reflect on this, I am so amazed it’s beyond understanding. Besides saving us, God has given us so much. One of the gifts God has given us is the gift of prayer. Talking to God the creator is the most amazing thing we can do and crucial if we want to have deeper understanding of who He is and His plans for our lives. 

Prayer needs to be at the centre of our lives and is a vital key to us having an intimate relationship with God and going deeper with Him. Paul the apostle was a man of prayer and knew how important it was in the life of a believer and throughout his ministry he prayed to God and prayed for the people of God. Prayer and teaching dominated his life. Written from a Roman prison, Paul encourages the believers in Colosse to devote themselves to prayer. Devote yourself means to continue to do something with intense effort to keep on to continue steadfastly.  Jesus Himself was devoted to prayer. Luke tells us in his gospel, one day Jesus spent all night in prayer, we read in Luke 6:12 "One of those days Jesus went out to a mountainside to pray, and spent the night praying to God.” 

Also, we find Jesus praying early morning we read in Mark 1:35 "Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” If Jesus Christ needed to pray and found time in the busy demands of His life for prayer, we must also spend time in prayer. I have to confess that I think prayer is the hardest discipline to live out in our lives. However, it is one of the most important because prayer is conversing with the one and true living God, Father, Son and holy Spirit.

I don’t think we realize how wonderful and amazing it is to be in conversation with the God of the universe, the God who stepped into His world in the person of Jesus Christ.  I know for many people prayer can be hard going and even become mechanical.  Do you find prayer difficult at times? Why do you think that is? We need to keep reminding ourselves prayer is not us talking to God, it’s also about listening, I know in my own life I just don’t listen to God enough. 

Our relationship with God would develop if we lived a life of prayer that talks and listens, I don’t think we listen to God enough. Prayer is so crucial, because it not only helps to understand and deepen our relationship with God, but also gives us a revelation of who He truly is, the God who loves and cares for us. It’s through prayer and Gods word we will discover how wonderful He really is. If we want to know the heart of God we need to pray and read His holy word. Prayer and reading Gods word should be a desire and a Joy and not burdensome. When we pray, we are sharing with God what’s in our hearts, our desires our thoughts and feelings.

Through prayer we Invite God to be part of our journey, is God part of our Journey?

It’s through prayers we can express our love for Him, which creates in us feelings of worship and a desire to give Him the praise and glory He is worthy off, and declare that He is the one and only true God. It’s through prayer we move the heart of God. This is absolutely something that is hard to fathom. God listens to our prayer and acts according to His will.  Brothers and sisters as we begin this devotional study.

Prayer is going to be the key in our lives that will draw us closer to God and experience His presence and know what Gods will is for our lives.

"I pray as you reflect on these devotions your relationship will grow and grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God.” Ephesians 3:17.

Personal Prayers: