Intimate Prayer

Luke 18:10-14

Two men went up into the temple to pray; the one a Pharisee, and the other a publican.11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, God, I thank thee, that I am not as other men are, extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this publican.12 I fast twice in the week, I give tithes of all that I possess.13 And the publican, standing afar off, would not lift up so much as his eyes unto heaven, but smote upon his breast, saying, God be merciful to me a sinner.14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other: for every one that exalteth himself shall be abased; and he that humbleth himself shall be exalted.

We have a tendency to not pray as often as we should because we feel that our lives are not adequate enough to even talk to God. Surely we think about all the sin in our lives before we initially pray and agree that God doesn’t want to talk to us. Thus we don’t and the feeling of the absence of His presence grows further and colder. Without regard one day we when we can go no further (which seemingly has been on our own) we cry out “God help me Please”. In that moment we realize God has never left. That His only desire was for you to see that no matter what, nothing can separate His Love towards you. Romans 8:38-39 For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come,39 Nor height, nor depth, nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Simply put: Sometimes the simplest prayers are the most intimate.