Hey Jesus, It's Me, I'm Here!

"When you pray, do not use a lot of words, as the pagans do, for they hold that the more they say, the more chance they have of being heard. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need, even before you ask Him." - Matthew 6: 7-8

I must be really annoying to God sometimes because when I need something, I ask Him a billion times a day. And it's great to ask, the bible constantly says to ask, but we have to ask ourselves if we are asking in true prayer or if we're asking over and over again to increase our chances of being heard. I definitely have to work on this. I know God hears me and is working on it, but I need to learn to relax a little because He not only heard me the first time I asked, but He knew what I wanted before I asked.

We need to learn to watch the quality of our prayers versus the quantity of words. My parents once told me the story of a man who would visit a church every day to pray. Not knowing what to say to God, he would just say "Hey Jesus, it's me, Pepito, I'm here" and just sit there wanting to be in God's presence. Later on in his life, when he was on his death bed, he heard a voice say, "Hey Pepito, it's me, Jesus, I'm here." In his case, Pepito didn't need the words but his faith and intentions in his prayer life did all the talking for him. This is what God seeks from us because words can be empty and there is so much power in just being silent in the Lord's presence.

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, teach me to pray perfectly as You taught Your disciples. Help me have the faith to not repeat things to You but to rely on Your promises. In Your Name we pray, amen.

Sometimes You Have To Be A Child

"Jesus said to them, 'Supposed one of you has a friend and goes to his house in the middle of the night and says: Friend, lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine who is traveling has just arrived and I have nothing to offer him. Maybe your friend will answer from inside: Don't bother me now; the door is locked and my children and I are in bed, so I can't get up and give you anything. But I tell you, even though he will not get up and attend to him because he is a friend, yet he will get up because the other is a bother to him, and he will give him all he needs.'" - Luke 11:5-8

God is funny. In this parable He is basically comparing us to an annoying friend who comes to bother us and ask us for stuff when we don't want to be bothered! But God is also loving because while our reaction would be to tell our friend to leave us alone, He tells us this story so that we do annoy Him with what we want and need. The point of this parable is very easy - when we don't get what we want, keep asking until God finally gives in and answers us. Sometimes we're not ready to receive what we ask for and sometimes what we ask for isn't good for us, but we need to relentlessly ask Him like an annoying little kid begging for ice cream.

There was something I really wanted the other day so I would visit the church by my job twice a day. As soon as I walked in I'd giggle, laughing with Jesus and I'd say, "It's me, I came to see You again and You know I'm going to keep bugging You!" This is exactly what the Lord wants because through our constant petitions, we do grow closer to Him without even realizing it! Day, afternoon, and night, as we continue to nag and nag and nag, He quietly goes strengthening us and preparing us for when He does give us what we need! So don't be afraid to be a pain! Think back to when you were a kid and wanted that new doll or new toy truck and would bother the hell out of your parents! God has so many things to give us and we need to let that inner child out and just keep on bugging our Father in Heaven!

Today's Prayer:
Lord Jesus, thank You for the simple things in life and how in You, we can ask for things with the simplicity of a child. Don't ever let me give up if I see You stall but inspire me to keep on seeking You. In Your Name we pray, Amen.