March 3rd - His Child

“…and pray…” (2 Chronicles 7:14)

After we have confirmed that we are His people and have humbled ourselves before Him, God instructs us to pray. Why?

Immersing ourselves in Proverbs, our faith can feel like nothing more than a long list of do’s and don’ts, mostly don’ts. But our Heavenly Father, through Jesus, welcomes us as His children into relationship, not religiosity. A vital father-child relationship requires open, two-way communication. He invites us to be in moment-by-moment relationship with Him. That’s prayer.

Prayer is simply talking things over with God, much like when we call up a friend and share what’s on our heart and mind. We can bring all our concerns to Him, asking for His advice and counsel. (By the way, after taking time to listen, we are wise to follow His advice.)

We can’t just dial God up on the phone, so how exactly do we do it? Just start talking. Share our hearts with Him. He already knows what’s there. But talking about it helps us know what’s there.

It’s best to start our talk by praising Him for who He is and what He has done. That makes it easier for us to settle our hearts, to be still and know that He is God (Psalm 46:10). Then it is easier to choose to trust Him with our whole heart and not rely on our own understanding (Proverbs 3:5). 

Let’s humbly come before His Throne, bringing our praises and petitions to Him, recognizing that He alone is God. Let’s share our hearts openly with Him so His truth can bring light and life to their every little corner. Then we will be free to simply trust and obey.

Today’s Action:

Let’s read each word of Proverbs 3 together, letting the Lord show us where we may be deceived into seeing ourselves as wise in our own eyes.

“Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will bring health to your flesh, and strength to your bones.”

(Proverbs 3:7-8)