Have you ever thought about when you pray? I start my day with a short prayer of thanksgiving that I woke up, before I even get out of bed. And I end my day by praying about God’s character, His promises and intercede for family members. In between, all day long, I just have a long conversation with God, with short snippets like “I need some help here,” or “I am feeling lonely and could use a reminder of your love.” God is always there, ready to answer.

I really like this illustration because when we start the day with prayer, our hearts are unlocked to allow God to speak to us all day long. Jesus often went away in solitude to pray. He didn’t give a long and loud oratory; He just talked to His Father and that’s what I try to do. Sometimes, I am irate about what is happening in my life and I tell God just that. The time I spend talking to Him ends up calming me down. I may not ever be able to see things from His perspective, but I do take time to ponder and not to blame and insist on my way.

Ending the day with prayer gives me the peace I need to fall asleep. A lot happens each day, much of it out of my control. But when I pray, I know the One who loves me best is “at the wheel” and will perfectly handle the worries that I hand over to him. I just have to remember that God answers in His time and in His way, not mine. So, with that thought, I can roll over and sleep in peace, knowing that God has never left me and never will.

I will close with this verse that is one of my least favorites to use because it has been misused and abused so much. The whatever needs to line up with God’s will. And it will be yours, in His way, in His time. I always remember when I read this verse that God says His ways are not our ways or His thoughts our thoughts. His way is better. Thus, although this verse is true, it needs to be understood through the context of who God is and what Jesus was really saying here. He was NOT saying that His Father is our “fairy godmother” ready to grant our wishes as soon as we utter them. After all, Jesus prayed for the cup of suffering to be removed from Him, but He went to the cross and died. Why? Because He also prayed, ”Not my will, but yours be done.” That is how we should approach our requests to God, with the attitude that God knows best and we don’t. God has a plan in mind that we don’t always know but we can participate in it if we spend time in prayer and ask to be included in His plans, not just ours.

What thoughts do you have about this verse? It sometimes makes me cringe as I hear the “name it and claim it” advocates preaching it while they also give you the address to which to send funds to them. Then, I think to myself that it isn’t God’s fault that people misuse His word. He means it all for good, so I am going to lean on this verse, knowing that it’s true because God says it and He doesn’t lie.