The How Much More of Prayer

My husband and I talk...a lot. Specifically I mean we talk to each other a lot. We've been friends for 6 years and married 1 and a half those. We have a past, common interests, shared experiences. All of this and more means it's very easy for us to find things to talk about (so much so that I had to switch my devotional time from breakfast - that's now deemed "study time" since we essentially just discuss the things we're reading and learning the whole time - to in between Silas' early morning feeding and then.) Weaver is my best friend, so we talk.

I also talk to him a lot because he is the leader, provider, and protector of our (small) family. If I have questions, concerns, needs, wants, whatever, I go to him, and we talk it through.

To borrow some biblical verbiage- "how much more" should I talk to the God of the universe? I share in Jesus' body and blood and sufferings (Luke 22:19-20, 1 Peter 4:13). Jesus is in fact, a better friend than my husband. He is the head of the church (Colossians 1:18). God is the Father who has made us heirs (Romans 8:17), the warrior and rock that is higher than I (Jeremiah 20:11, Psalm 61:2). How much more should I find reason upon reason to talk to Him?

I recently read The Autobiography of George Muller. (I cannot recommend it highly enough.) In it Muller writes, "The primary business I must attend to every day is to fellowship with the Lord. The first concern is not how much I might serve the Lord, but how my inner man might be nourished." When Weaver has to work, I'm always anxious for him to come home so that I can spill the stories and questions and jokes I've been saving for him all day. In the mornings I look forward to waking him up and letting him know breakfast is ready, because I have come to expect good, meaningful conversation over our eggs and cups of coffee. How much more should I look forward to my morning meetings with Jesus, the founder and perfecter of my faith? How much more should I yearn for quality time with Yaweh, in the name of the Christ, in the power of the Spirit?

It should be infinitely more -"without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

So I talk. I ask. I sing. I thank The Lord that my sanctified ramblings are somehow bringing glory to his name. I kneel to eat and drink, tasting and seeing that He is good (Psalm 34:8 ). And in those moments I don't want to talk to anyone else; I gawk at the words and time I've used on lesser things. He listens, I listen. It's a sweet time. There are really just no words to describe it, and for once the lack of words is fine by me. It's what I've been wanting the whole time.

O Lord, my heart is not lifted up; my eyes are not raised too high; I do not occupy myself with things too great and too marvelous for me. But I have calmed and quieted my soul, like a weaned child with its mother; like a weaned child is my soul within me. O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forevermore. -Psalm 131:1-3