Let’s Dance: Leading My Prayers – Monday
Matthew 6:6
“But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you” (ESV)
When I was little, my family had “devotion time” every night after dinner. My dad would read some Scripture and then we would practice praying together as a family. In all transparency, I hated this time. I always wanted to go off and play with my Webkinz or ride my bike around the neighborhood. Being elementary school-aged, I felt like there were more important things to do than to talk to God and read my Bible. While I didn’t understand prayer or the importance of it at the time, as I grew in my walk with Jesus (especially in college), I realized that prayer was so much more than just “speaking to the ceiling.” It was an opportunity to really KNOW Jesus. Not just to know about Him, but to truly know Him as my Father and my friend.
To know someone, you need to listen! I’ll be the first to say it, I LOVE to yap (Gen Z slang for “talk”). So much of my prayer time with Jesus was talking AT Him instead of talking TO Him. Having a conversation requires listening. It requires dialogue, a back-and-forth between two people. The same is true when we go before our Father in prayer. We get to show up, talk to Him, and listen to what He’s saying.
Praying - talking to Jesus, spending time with Him, leaning in, and really listening to what He’s trying to say allows us to live a transformed life.
Monday’s Reflection
As you head into this week, carve out 5 minutes to sit with Jesus in the mornings. Ask Him to calm and quiet your heart and to help you listen to what He’s saying to you. If you need prayer, we have an incredible prayer team at each of our campuses that stands at the front of the stage near the end of both our services. No matter what you’re going through, they would love to pray with and for you. Haven’t been to a service yet? Plan a visit now!