What Does it Look Like to “Talk” to God?

I️  don’t think people realize how easy it is to have a relationship with God. It is as simple as talking to a friend. This is how we pray.

Misconceptions About Prayer

There are often misconstrued notions that we have to talk to God in a certain way…with lofty words or in a particular posture…before God answers our prayers. We believe we have to do more…serve more…attend church more…achieve more….before God listens. We put this heavy, weighty pressure on ourselves to get everything right in our lives before we approach the throne room of God.

When our prayers are not answered as we like, we think we’ve done something wrong. We feel shame. We feel guilt. And then the unsettling chasm of the distance between ourselves and God is felt down to our core.

But honestly, the exact opposite is true. 

We can talk to God anytime and anywhere. We can have an ongoing dialogue with Him throughout the day. Our inner dialogue can be dialed in to “incline our ears” to what He has to say. By going to God with our questions and frustrations, we learn that talking to God can look messy and imperfect. God is big enough to handle our raw emotions.

“pray without ceasing” I️  Thessalonians 5:17

How to Grow in Your Prayer Life:

Practice

To become better at something, you have to practice. You don’t suddenly win the World Series or become a pop star without some elbow grease and hours and hours of perfecting your skill. Intentionality is required. You have to want it to improve. The same is true in developing a praying lifestyle. You have to work at it. Set reminders. Establish a rhythm. The more you practice talking to God, the more natural it will become.

Persevere

It is easy to throw in the towel and become disgruntled with God when you feel like your prayers are not being answered. It takes faith to pray since we cannot physically see and touch God. There may be an uneasy feeling of “Who am I️  talking to?” Well, guess what? This is a normal response, and it is called doubt. It is part of your faith journey. Go ahead and call it out and continue to fight. It is expected to have dry seasons…ups and downs…but I️  want to urge you, even in these moments, to continue to press on towards building a relationship with God.

Keep a forward gaze. Remind yourself that God is for you! Continue to speak the truths of Scripture over and over in your mind, allowing them to become your stronghold. Tell yourself that your emotions do not think, and can often be misleading.

Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I️  press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus. Philippians 3:13-14

Promise

One of the greatest encouragements in developing a life of dependence on God is that those who diligently seek Him will find Him. In other words, if you are looking for God, He will be found. He will not hide from you. If you are struggling to believe there is a God, have you diligently sought after Him?

Start looking for God working all around you. Ask Him to open your eyes to see Him and your ears to hear Him. I️  know it may sound a bit weird…but just start here. God loves to answer this prayer!

“You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart.” Jeremiah 29:13

I️ want you to know that as I️ sit here right now, I️  am praying for you. I️ am praying for your relationship with God to deepen, and for you to know that He is real. He cares for you. He wants to be found.