Breath of prayer!

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Breath of prayer!

How often do you get up in the morning, take one deep breath and say:
"That's all the breathing I need for today"?

Yet we often do that with prayer.
We send up one quick breath of prayer and call it good for the day...or week...or longer.

Once we've gone a few days like that-
- we think we can get by without it;
- we fail to see it as necessary.

But prayer is contact with God-
- a key to becoming intimate with Him.

You wouldn't think much of a friend who never talked to you.
Your friendship wouldn't grow any deeper.

Prayer is the way we talk to God.
And He wants us to talk to Him.
That's why there are so many instructions on how to pray and what to pray about.

Jesus taught us to pray.Matthew 6:9-13.
This isn't the only prayer you can use, and you can talk to God about more than this.
But it gives us a framework.
We see that God wants a close relationship with us;

In 1 Thessalonians 5, we're told: 'Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you' 5:16-18.
It's what God wants, what He wills for us--to rejoice, to pray, to give thanks.
These three are tied together, and they should be as natural as breathing.

How do you think conversations like these could deepen your intimacy with God?

When we do pray, it's often a list of requests and needs.
Then, when we don't get what we want, we say prayer doesn't work.

Instead of focusing on getting your requests answered, try prayer as conversation.
Jot down about three or four things you'd talk about with a friend--things that are important, that excite you, that have you struggling to understand, people you're concerned about, etc.

Use these to start your conversation with God, to build intimacy, to be open and transparent before Him, to look for His will and not your wants.
Pick three times in your day when you're likely to have about 2-3 minutes.
Set an appointment, a sticky note, an alarm on your phone, etc.

When that time comes, talk to God about one thing from the list you just created.

Do the same for the next day or plan for several days.
These are small steps, but they'll help you see prayer as necessary for your life.
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