Prayer - Man's Search for God

One fundamental truth about every human soul is that he's always searching for God.  Why is this true, especially if you happen to be someone who doesn't want to be found by God?  It's true because man is simply made that way.  Each soul is geniunely "defaulted" (or designed) to search for God.

1. In the act of creating every human soul, God calls each soul from nothingness into existence and crowns him or her with glory and honor.  This "crown" enables man to know, love and desire God.  (Psalm 8)
2. Even after the Fall when man is profoundly morally wounded by sin, he still has deep within him this genuniue desire for God, a true and lasting thirst for God.  Jesus explains this in the Beatitudes, "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness [ie, for God], for they shall be satisfied." (Matt 5:6).

Prayer

It is true that man can try to turn his back to God by trying to hide from "His Face." He does this when he runs after worldly idols and idolertrous dreams and desires and when he accuses God of abandoning him or not being at "some situation." Yet the Bible explains that our living God is tirelessly calling each soul to Him.  "Come to Me, all who are weary and heavy-laden, and I will give you rest." (Matt 11:28). Jesus also said... "If you wish to be complete... come, follow Me."  (Matt 19:21). The adjective "complete" in Greek here is teleos.  Teleos means coming to full maturity.  This word is sometime translated as "perfect."

This "calling" to follow Jesus Christ is a call to pray.  We mature as Christians through prayer and worship.

We mature because God is actually praying in and through us.  It's His love within us that moves our desires and heart to pray and to seek Him and to seek peace.  Even though the words or ideas we use originate from our thoughts or situation prayer is always God's eternal love initiating the moment.  He is joining forces with us and brings light and understanding to our soul.

We see this happen through out salvation history.  God explains at the Exodus: "Then I will take you for My people, and I will be your God; and you shall know that I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from under the burdens of the Egyptians." (Ex 6:7).  We also have that lovely call from Him to "Be still and know that I am God."  (Ps 46:10).

So God reveals both Himself and He reveals each person to himself through prayer.  Prayer is the "family talking and listening to each other." It's our heavenly Father speaking and listening to His sons and daughters.  His "attention" and "affection" is not divided.  He listens to each soul as though we are the only person on earth.

Prayer is also when His children can listen and speak to Him.  Through love and the actions of our heart we grow open to God, maturing to complete perfection through the journey of our life.