Do you think of God as your loving parent? If so, that’ great. We’re told by Jesus to pray “Our Father (Matthew 6:9).” In some ways, then, praying must have something in common with communicating with your parents. Yet, prayer is different from conversation with your mommy or daddy, your mom or your day. Here’s why:
Prayer Is Different—It’s God
Prayer starts with God. God has initiated the conversation. And so, you return your prayers to God. In many ways, it is a response to God’s amazing love and grace. You are awed by God and in yourself are not worthy to approach God. Yet, in Jesus Christ you can and are invited to approach God with reverential intimacy. You are made worthy.
More than that, you can count on God in a way that you cannot count on your parents. This doesn’t mean that they are bad parents. It simply means that they are human. Humans fail. That’s part of the human condition. Plus, human parents cover a very wide spectrum from disengaged to overly engaged.God is a different (Isaiah 49:15-16).
Furthermore, you outgrow your parents but can’t outgrow God. When you were small you were totally dependent on your parents. It was as if they knew everything. As you grew older, you understood the limits of their knowledge and expertise. You still call on them, because you can’t beat the life experience that they have. However, admit it, you know more than your parents in some areas.
Here’s the good news: You cannot outgrow God. You can’t catch up with God, outdo, surpass or anything like that when it comes to God. God remains infinite in wisdom, power, love, and grace.
Continue to rely on God and surrender in prayer with honest, whole-hearted praying and experience God more deeply.
Yes. Prayer is different. It is the God difference.
This is by no means exhaustive on how prayer is different from regular conversations and different from conversation with your parents specifically.
How is prayer the same and different for you as talking with your folks?
Pray and Experience God more fully.
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