Wow! What a Friend!

We are taught that we should talk to God as if he were a friend.  Some prefer to talk to Jesus, some to the Holy Spirit.  Doesn't matter.

I thought about that friend aspect of it and how I talk with my friends.  It's just not the same.  We are told in the Bible to ask, to be persistent in our prayers, to pray continuously, etc.  So how do I do all those things?

I started talking to God just like I was talking to a friend.  One on one.  Just He and me.  It was awkward.  I was used to just stating my wants, trying to listen for a response, lifting up names and situations throughout the day.  But talking to him like I talk to another person?  Wasn't happening.

So I prayed.  I really wanted to have God as my friend in addition to my Savior.  I started paying attention to how I talk to my friends, what things I said and how I said them.  Then I talked to God like that but with the same requests.

At first, I felt ridiculous.  Why was I reciting the same things over and over?  I wouldn't do that with a human friend who may or may not remember what I've told them; why should I do that with the God of the universe?  Surely he could remember the details of why I want blessings on friends and family.

I wanted to stop this experiment in prayer because I felt silly doing it.  Yet I was compelled to stick with it a little longer.  I felt the Holy Spirit had something for me just around the next corner, if I would only give it another chance.

What I found was the best understanding of prayer I have ever had.  When I just couldn't force myself to repeatedly repeat my cares, I found myself going past the just-asking point.  I started talking to God about the whole situation, not just what I thought should happen or just saying "Your will be done."  I talked with him about the history of these things, what had worked and what hadn't.  This part was not a repeat of earlier prayers.  I felt like it was more like how I would talk in a two-way conversation.

But God doesn't care if I repeat.  Like a good friend who has heard this story many times, He patiently listens and sends love to me through my soul.  As I talk to him, I receive His thoughts on the matter, things I would never have thought of on my own.  I go deeper into the request, finding new layers I didn't know existed, even with old, old stories that have twisted and turned through the years.

I believe that every time I post on my blogs, every time I present a program at church or at the local city jail, there is someone who needs to hear it.  Sometimes I suspect that person is me.  So I offer this to you just in case God has picked you this time.