Tongue Pierced With Nelson SearcySample

“Prayer: Demonstrate Your Dependence Upon God”

I have an engineer friend who, as part of his job, regularly oversees the development of large residential buildings in different parts of the country. Every time he starts a new project, he spends an incredible amount of time with the architect who designed the building. They go over plans and blueprints together ad nauseam. There’s no way my friend would set out on a new building project without being crystal clear on what the designer had in mind. That would be crazy. If he failed to follow the blueprints of the person with the complete vision for the job, disaster would be right around the corner.

Even so, that’s how millions of people go about building their lives. They forge ahead with what they think is in their best interest, neglecting to consult the one who has the blueprint. But there’s no reason to barrel ahead blindly. By choosing to talk with God every day, you place yourself in a position where he can show you the best possible plan for your life and give you what you need to live it out.

Let me be clear, though: Prayer is not ultimately about God being available to you. It’s about you being available to God; it’s about letting him know that you are ready and willing for him to shape your life. As you admit your dependence on him and acknowledge that his plan is bigger and better than your own, you open the door for him to work in your life. Some of the most powerful, most life-transforming words you can ever speak are, “God, I need you. Please show me the path you want me to walk.” God won’t force himself on you, but if you’ll engage in the conversation, he’ll be sure to carry his end of it.

* How is your prayer life? Are you prayers mostly you-centric, or do they admit dependence upon God the creator? How will your prayer life change after reading this?