Billy Graham is one of my heroes in the sense that I admire the man of God that he is, his integrity, his character, and his heart for the Lord. If you have time, I would encourage you to read his autobiography, Just As I Am. In another book he has written called, The Journey, Billy Graham writes, “Prayer shouldn’t be a burden but a privilege – a privilege God has graciously given us because He wants our fellowship.”
How do you approach prayer? Do you see it as something that you are supposed to do or have to do? Or, do you see it as a time to meet and fellowship with God? Or is it a combination of both?
When Jesus taught His disciples how to pray, He told them, “This, then, is how you should pray”: ‘Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name…” (Matthew 6:9).
Jesus taught that we should begin prayer, our time with God, by focusing on who God is. As we focus on who He is, we focus in our relationship with Him. He is our Father in heaven. As we hallow or honor God’s name, we see Him for who He is. The Bible tells us that God is called or described by different names, such as El Shaddai (God Almighty), El Elyon (God Most High), Jehovah Rohi (the Lord my Shepherd), and Emmanuel (God with us).
One of things that the Lord has taught me recently through this very familiar passage in the Bible is to take my time when I come to God and address and acknowledge who He is. To take my time praying Matthew 6:9. To think about who it is I’m coming to meet with. To focus on my relationship with Him.
Here are some ways to know who God is and His names: As we read the Word, take note of the ways God reveals Himself. See the names He is called. There are books on the names of God, such as Lord, I Want to Know You, by Kay Arthur. Last Sunday, we sang some worship songs (“You Are Holy,” “El Shaddai” and “These Things Are True of You”) that focused on the names of God and His character. You can sing these in your “face times” with Him as a way to praise Him and to remember and acknowledge who He is.
One more quote from Billy Graham from The Journey: “True prayer begins with seeing God as He really is – and that is why praise should be a regular part of our prayers.”
I hope that when we come before God, we will take the time to focus on, remember, and to give praise to the One we are meeting with. It can change how we approach prayer and how we pray.
Your brother in Christ,
Pastor Ron