December 13, 2010: Our Gifts to God: Prayers
What we are is God’s gift to us. What we become is our gift to God. ~Eleanor Powell
Your talent is God’s gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God. ~Leo Buscaglia
Devotion:
This week I want to look at our gifts to God. Since I am a United Methodist, I hope you’ll allow me to use part of our membership vows as the past for this week’s daily theme. In our vows, we promise to faithfully participate in the ministries of the church by our prayers, presence, gifts (talents), service, and witness. I’ll take these one by one this week and look at them.
Prayers don’t seem much like a gift that we give God but I believe that in the working of our relationship with God that being in prayer, being in communication WITH God, is a gift that we give out of our love for God. John Wesley said “In souls filled with love, the desire to please God is continual prayer”. Wesley also said that ALL that we do is prayer when it is done in simplicity, according to the order of God. When we are in tune with God, “praying without ceasing” is really living life as He designed it to be – constant communion with Him – a life filled with love (easier said than done, I know). I believe the enemy would have us believe that prayer is something hard and only pastors, preachers, and priests are truly connected and able to pray. We are all called to pray and I believe that is a vital part of our relationship. Wesley felt that God did nothing but in answer to prayer. When we pray, we give God reign to move in our lives and in the lives of others.
What are you praying for? Do you find it hard to pray? Who’s praying for you?
Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy Name. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For Thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
