Always be full of joy in the Lord. I say it again, Rejoice. Philippians 4:4
Most of us come to prayer when we can’t rejoice, because we usually come to prayer when things are really, really bad. And why would we rejoice when things are really, really bad? I’m not rejoicing at all. And I come to the Lord and tell him, “You got to do something about this!” How do you rejoice in moments like that? How do you rejoice when there’s an issue and there doesn’t seem to be a solution. Believe it or not, you can still rejoice when things aren’t going well.
Let’s let’s look at what Jesus taught in in Luke Chapter 11, because he’s giving us the reasons to rejoice in prayer. Here’s how it starts.
“So he said to them, When you pray, say, our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done on Earth as it is in heaven.” Luke 11:2
Jesus is showing us why prayer is a reason for rejoicing. First:
WE PRAY TO A LOVING FATHER
We get to approach God in prayer as the beginning of an intimate conversation. He’s our father. He’s our loving father. We get to bring everything that’s on our hearts, the deepest, scariest things that are hurting us and that are weighing down our souls. We get to bring those to our loving father. And there are people who can’t bring themselves to pray because they don’t see God as their father. If that is you, just know that God loves you and can’t wait to hear your prayers.
WE PRAY TO AN ALL-SEEING FATHER
He’s all powerful and he sees it all. Don’t you want to put your issues in the hands of that God? The God Who’s your father? Who loves you and who sees everything, sees every angle, sees every possibility, sees every solution. Isn’t that the God you want to talk to and bring your problems to?
WORDS ARE OPTIONAL
What do I mean by this? Look at what Paul says in Romans 8:26-27:
And the Holy Spirit helps us in our weakness. For example, we don’t know what God wants us to pray for, but the Holy Spirit prays for us with groaning that cannot be expressed in words. And the Father, who knows all hearts, knows what the Spirit is saying, for the Spirit pleads for us believers in harmony with God’s own will.
Have you ever been at this place? When the pain is so great, the confusion is so frustrating that there seems to be no answers and no solutions. And God at that moment is inviting you to come to him in prayer. And let me tell you why this is a time to rejoice. Because you don’t even have to speak. Think about how much God wants to be with you through prayer that He has created an opportunity that you don’t even have to say anything. And he knows what is on your heart and he will answer.
So I challenge you to come to God in prayer and rejoice, knowing that your loving, all-seeing God is ready to hear and act on your behalf, even if you have nothing to say.
Watch Chaplain Milton’s sermon on this topic below.
