Good morning,

Our devotion for today comes from Luke 11:1-4 "He was praying in a certain place, and when He finished, one of His disciples said to Him, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John also taught his disciples." He said to them, "Whenever you pray, say; Father, your name be honored as holy. Your kingdom come.  Give us each day our daily bread. And forgive us our sins, for we ourselves also forgive everyone in debt to us.  And do not bring us into temptation." 

Wherever you are today (Selah), think on this; many of us have redesigned prayer to "fit in" with the busyness of our lives and to make us more comfortable.  We have organized it to suit ourselves and, in the process, we have forgotten what the heart of prayer really is, it is our relationship with God.

Prayer is to be a time of separation from the world in order to be with God.  It occurs when we surrender our schedules, our priorities, and ourselves to the joy of drawing near to our heavenly Father.  It's time to experience God's love and express ours to Him; to remember that life is centered on Jesus and that our priority is to obey Him.  It's where our souls are nourished and we gain strength to continue.

For us, as children of the King, prayer is the means by which we communicate with Him about needs, work, desires, and even our mistakes (sin); it is also a primary way for us to receive His responses.  Most importantly, it's a time to gaze intently into the face of God our Father and Jesus our Savior, and to be guided by the Holy Spirit in heavenly conversation.

The value of prayer is seen in the life of Jesus.  He often withdrew from the crowds and even from His own disciples in order to spend significant time with His Father.  What value do you place on prayer?  Whom or what do you seek through your prayers?  How often do you enter the throne room just to spend time with your Father?  Commit to seeking a prayer life like Jesus' with God Himself as your focus and top priority.

Have a blessed drawing close day!

Your brother in Christ,

J. H. Flakes, III