Prayer | a 4-Day Skate Church Movement DevotionalNäide

Why do we pray?

“In those days, when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” Jeremiah 29:12-13

I started skateboarding at thirteen years old. Obsessed with the sport, I spent years watching endless videos, researching each trick’s name, and studying professional skaters. I knew their board sizes, the trucks they preferred, and even most of their shoe sizes. I felt like I knew each skater’s trick style so well that I could tell you who was skating without even seeing their face. Without ever having a conversation with these professional skaters, I knew a lot about them; but I didn’t actually know them.

Similarly, this may often be the case when learning about God. Wanting to understand everything about Him, we may fill our heads with knowledge, but lack the personal experience of getting to know him. Personally, knowing God begins when we invite Him into our lives through prayer, asking Jesus for forgiveness of our sins. In doing so, we have a renewed life spent in a relationship with the Creator of the universe.

However, as believers in a busy world, it’s easy to deprioritize prayer. Jesus led by example, showing us the importance of setting aside time to connect with God. Luke 5:16 tells us that Jesus often withdrew to the wilderness for prayer. The Son of the living God wanted to be in communication with His Father in Heaven. To do what He did on earth, Jesus Christ would not move forward unless connected to His Father in prayer. In the book of Jeremiah, God says He’ll meet us when we pray.

Jeremiah 29:12-13 says, “In those days, when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.” God promises that when we pray, He will listen. That’s not all! When we ask Jesus to come into our hearts and begin a relationship with Him, we are not alone! Check out what Romans 8:15-17 says: “So you have not received a spirit that makes you fearful slaves. Instead, you received God’s Spirit when He adopted you as His children. Now we call him, ‘Abba, Father.’ For His Spirit joins with our spirit to affirm that we are God’s children.” You are not alone; God loves you, and He wants to have a rich and life-giving relationship with you. He gives you access to the same Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead–that same Spirit lives in you when you surrender your life to the Lord!

This week, I encourage you to take time to be still before God. Read Matthew 26:36-46. Ask Him to reveal Himself to you. Don’t just talk, but listen; listen to what the God of the universe has to say to you.

Pushing further

1. What are the things you pray for?
2. What are the things you may be too afraid to pray for?
3. What do you find keeping you from being still before the Lord?