by Victoria Heinecke

Prayer is time with our forever friend.

You can listen to today’s devotion by clicking on this SoundCloud link.  

“Never stop praying.”
1 Thessalonians 5:17 New Living Translation

I enjoy air travel. When I was younger; however, the take-off portion of the flight was terrifying. Early in our marriage, my husband and I were flying home from San Francisco. I waited for the sensation of the wheels leaving the tarmac, which seemed to take an eternity. My husband noticed my anxiety, along with my silently moving lips. He took my hand and said, “Vicki, God heard you the first time.”

I relaxed, trusting that God was in control, and soon the wheels left the ground.

The verse, “never stop praying” reminds us to include God in our daily living. He wants us to include him in our lives, the way we might text a close friend. The difference between texting with a friend and talking to God is that God already knows what we’re thinking. He knows what we’re going to say. He knows the story of our lives.

Does this mean we only talk to him when we are anxious, as if he were a genie in a bottle? Saint Paul might reply, “By no means!”

“Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”
1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 New Living Translation

Whether it’s the first activity of one’s day or a regular checking in throughout the rhythm of our daily tasks, staying in fellowship with God helps to cultivate the joy and gratitude which lead to greater peace. Talking to him throughout the day forges a two-way relationship so that he is not a stranger to us in times of need. He becomes a confidant, a mentor, and a forever companion. We become more sensitive to the moments when he is talking to us. He wants to be part of our lives because he loves us.

God hears you, every time you think of him.

Copyright Holy Cross Lutheran Church, Colorado Springs, Colorado