How can I have a relationship with God when I can’t pray the right way?

I had an interesting question asked to me from a harried and hurried mother as she was trying to fit a Bible Study into her day. Her question was this, “How can I have a relationship with God when I can’t pray the right way?”

Answering a question with a question isn’t really a good response, but I did anyway. “What is praying the right way?”, I asked. “You know, on your knees, in the quiet, without distraction,” she said.

So, to be clear, I restated her concern. “You feel you do not have an intimate relationship with God because you don’t have time to pray in a prescribed way?” She answers in the affirmative.

Are there some of you that have that same concern? Let me give you three ways to develop your prayer life and the intimacy with God that you desire.

Let me confirm that God hears your prayers regardless of the time, place, or position you are in. We have a God who never tunes us out or turns us off. He wants to communicate with you always.

The first way is to communicate from your heart. Move into God’s presence and stay there. Talk to Him honestly about your love, joy, anger, confusion, burdens, and busyness.

Secondly, talk to God habitually throughout the day. Say simple prayers of a few words or sentences. Understand the need to stay in contact with Him. Thirdly, pray in the ordinary. Your day has a routine. Talk to God during the rhythm and flows of daily life. He cares about each moment of your life.

God wants a closer relationship with you and prayer is our way of building that relationship. Try building these three elements into your life and look for the blessings it brings.

Now what?

Last month we answered the question “what happens when I die”. Along with the answer, we learned that there was a requirement before eternal life can be claimed.

What do I need to do?

A very familiar Bible verse tells us. John 3:16, “For God so loved the world that He gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him will not perish but have eternal life.”

The one and only Son declared in this verse is Jesus Christ. Jesus came to earth for one reason: to die on the cross. Why did Jesus have to die? Now that is a very good question and it takes us back to the beginning of time with Adam and Eve. When our ancestors chose to disobey God in the Garden of Eden, sin entered the world and the human heart. Sin is defined as any thought, attitude, or action against God’s laws or character. The result of sin is a damaged relationship with God. Sin caused a divide between Him and the man He created. In order for us to be reconciled to God and have a relationship again, sin must be dealt with. Mankind can not deal with it because of our inborn sin nature. There had to be another way: Enter Jesus. Jesus came to earth as a baby, lived a perfect sinless life, and died on a cross to save all of mankind from their sin. That means Jesus took sin, all sin, even yours and mine, onto his own body and died the death all sinful mankind deserved. On the third day after his crucifixion, God raised Jesus from the grave of the dead to the glory of eternal life. Sin was dealt with by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ. A relationship with God forever is now possible.

So, what do I need to do?

The Bible passage in Romans, chapter 10, verse 9 tells us very plainly what to do. “That if you declare with your mouth that Jesus is Lord, and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you shall be saved.”

Believe that Jesus took your personal sin on his body. Believe that he died for you. Believe that he suffered the cross in your place. Believe that he was raised from the dead to life eternal by God. Believe with your heart and pray it with your voice to the one true God and eternal life is yours.

Here is a sample prayer: “Lord Jesus, I am a sinner. I believe you died for my sins so I can be forgiven. I receive you as my Lord and Savior. Thank you for coming into my life.”

If you have prayed this prayer in true belief and faith, please contact us! We would love to send you resources to help you in your new faith walk.

What happens when I die?

Before we talk about death, let’s talk about life, specifically how we were created. God created all humanity with three components: body, spirit, and soul. The physical body is material in that it can cease to exist. There is an endpoint to its life. The spirit/soul are immaterial because they are eternal, or have no endpoint of existence.

The body consists of the external and internal parts that function together to keep us alive on earth. They are physical and can be seen. The soul can not be seen physically but is known as our life, mind, and will; our inner self. In other words, they represent who we really are in mental, moral, and social likeness. The spirit is that part of our being that remains actively participating with the Holy Spirit. It is known as our God-consciousness or spiritual self.

Is everybody good? Okay, now to answer the question. What happens when I die?

When the physical body breaths out its last breath, the body and soul/spirit part ways. The body begins to deteriorate and turns to dust. However, God calls the body, at this time, in a state of “sleep”. The Bible passage of First Corinthians 15:51,52 says, “Listen, I tell you a mystery: We shall not all sleep (state of body death), but we will be changed- in a flash, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, the dead will be raised imperishable (unable to die), and we will be changed.” So, our bodies, even though they are breaking down, will be made new again. That is God’s promise.

Our soul/spirit is in the presence of God the minute the body expires. Our inner being immediately goes to Heaven to live with the Lord forever. A Bible passage in Second Corinthians 5:6 tells us about the Apostle Paul’s view on death. He says, “Therefore. we are always confident and know that as long as we are at home in the body, we are away from the Lord.” Paul distinguishes his mortal body from his soul/spirit. His desire is to be with Jesus and he will be when his body ceases to exist.

So, this is what God promises: when we die our soul/spirit goes to be with Him. There will be a future time when our bodies will be made new and rejoin our soul/spirit. This is an eternal condition.

BUT, there is a requirement for this to be true for you. Come back next month to learn what we have to do to gain this eternal condition.