I just recently ran into an acquaintance. We shared a few words like “How are you?”… “How is the family?”… “What have you been up to lately?” ….and after a short …somewhat “superficial” conversation, we went on our way. Now, I really didn’t expect much more than that…I mean we were only acquaintances. We didn’t have a closer relationship …we didn’t have what I would call a true friendship.

On the other hand, I do have friends that I may speak to sometimes even on a day to day basis where we may communicate not only the “superficial” things going on in our lives but also the deeper things. We may discuss our feelings and emotions about various events as well as give advice or encourage one another with biblical scriptures. We share our frustrations, our excitements, our challenges. Our communication goes much deeper than just an acquaintance…we have a stronger relationship…a true friendship.

As with any strong true friendship, communication is very important. We can’t expect to just share the “superficial” things and have an intimate relationship with someone…whether it is our husbands or our girlfriends. Friendships require time and effort…they require love, honesty, trust, patience, sometimes correction, and a good ear…they require sharing the good and the bad and sometimes the ugly.

Communication is the key and it can determine the depth of your friendship. The more you communicate and share with one another, the greater the intimacy.

Just as communication is important in our relationships in life, so it is also with our relationship with God. How is your relationship with God? Is it a friendship or an acquaintance? Do you communicate to God through prayer? Is it just “superficial” talk or does it go deeper?

Prayer is one way we communicate with God. In my experience in ministry, I see many Christians who have a difficult time praying to God. When I first accepted Christ…I was that Christian…having a hard time praying…especially out loud or in front of others. Why is it that we have such a hard time praying to Him?

Well, there are many reasons why we may have a hard time praying to our God…and one reason may be because we don’t view God as our friend although He considers us His friends!

I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. John 15:15 NIV

Seriously? That God our creator with all his power and glory and majesty would consider you and me His friends?

If God says that we are His friends, then we can begin viewing and communicating to Him as our friend. Isn’t it easier to talk to a friend than to someone in a high position of authority and power? …And not just any high position, the highest position ever…as God? I know it can be intimidating for sure! Note: Considering God as our friend does not minimize by any means His grandeur and sovereignty which we should all have reverence for.

Do you consider God your friend? Do you have a friendship with Him?

Just as in any friendship, we can talk to God with honesty and share with Him our feelings. It’s as if God is saying, “You are my friend…Can you just talk to me?”

Praying is simply talking to God. Talk to him as you would a friend.

We don’t need to talk to him with eloquent verbiage or some grand thoughts or ideas. You don’t need to sound “good”…whatever that means. Praying is just talking to God. Just talk! Just share, express, cry, call out to Him!

You don’t need to hold back or even hide anything… because honestly He already knows it all!

Nothing in all creation is hidden from God…Hebrews 4:13 NIV

There is nothing you need to hide…your hurts, frustrations, pains or disappointments…your fears, difficulties, doubts, and challenges…your love, praise, gratitude, and adoration! Talk to him…He wants you to!

The Bible makes it clear that God wants us to talk to him…pray to him. He continually declares His desire for fellowship with us…His desire for intimacy with us. He actually invites us to be intimate with Him.

Then you will call on me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. Jeremiah 29:12-13 NIV

Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. James 4:8 NASB

Our sovereign and majestic God wants to have intimacy with us! He wants us to call, to cry, to pray to Him. And He longs to love, refresh, and encourage us.

Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know. Jeremiah 33:3 NIV

Ask me and I will tell you remarkable secrets you do not know about things to come. Jeremiah 33:3 NLT

This is one of my favorite scriptures! I absolutely love it! That the God of this universe would first want to be our friend and then want to commune with us is remarkable to me! That he tells us great and unsearchable things…remarkable secrets! This really blows my mind! What an honor…what a privilege!

How intimate is your relationship with God?

The one person in the bible I think of when it comes to praying to God….crying out to God…calling to God…talking to God…expressing his fears, his doubts, his frustrations, his failures, his disappointments, his anger, his struggles, his sin to God…expressing his humbleness, needs, brokenness, praise and love for God…his hunger, desire, and intimacy with God…going all out, stepping all in and not holding anything back… is King David.

David wrote 73 of the Psalms and you can see the deep and genuine relationship he had with God. The book of Psalms is a very unique book of the bible…it is a great collection of songs and prayers expressing the heart and soul of humanity.

David had his failures…boy did he have some failures! But it didn’t stop him from communicating and praying and expressing his feelings to God.

David is a great example of a man who…failed, disappointed, sinned…a man who cried out to his God and wasn’t afraid to be honest with Him. He confessed his sins, expressed his doubts and fears, asked God for help in times of trouble, and praised and worshipped him.

No prayer “sounds” funny, isn’t significant, or bothers God. Our prayers are pleasing to Him!

Begin talking to God today! Don’t wait. Always go to Him first. Share your thoughts and feelings and concerns. Share your love and joy and gratitude for Him.

We tend to use prayer as a last resort, but God wants it to be our first line of defense. We pray when there’s nothing else we can do, but God wants us to pray before we do anything at all. Oswald Chambers

Reflection Points:

1)      How is your relationship with God? Is it a friendship or an acquaintance?

2)      Do you feel uncomfortable praying to God? If so, why?

3)      Do you view your relationship with God as a friendship?

4)      Is it easier to pray…”just talk” to God knowing He considers you His friend?

5)      Can you express everything to him or do you keep some things hidden?

Action Points:

1)      Knowing God views us as His friend, we must begin viewing our relationship with Him as a friendship…though still honoring and revering His high position as God.

2)      Talk to God…the more you just “talk” to Him the more comfortable you will be.

3)      Begin praying and “talking” to Him out loud so you can hear yourself. You can do this when no one is around like in your car, room, etc. By praying out loud and hearing yourself, you will become more comfortable praying for others out loud.

4)      Take short steps and begin with short simple prayers…No one said your prayers need to be long and elaborate!