Delightful Lord,
Help me not to think of prayer as a chore. Instead, I want to view it as communicating with the One I adore—You! Delighting myself in You draws me into sweet communion with You. I like to spend time thinking about all You are to me and all You do for me. The Bible gives me amazing assurances: You take great delight in me, and You love me with perfect, everlasting Love. As I rest in Your Presence, may Your tenderness embrace me—convincing me that I am indeed Your beloved. I rejoice in knowing that You will never let me go!
An easy way for me to start talking with You is to thank You for being my Savior—God and beloved Friend. I can also give You thanks for things that are happening in my life, in my family, and beyond. These prayers of thanksgiving connect me with You and ease my way into other types of prayers.
I can talk with You freely because You understand everything about me and my circumstances. Since You paid the full penalty for all my sins, I know You never reject me. So I am free to pour out my heart to You trusting in You, my Refuge.
In Your redeeming Name, Jesus, Amen.
“Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart.”
Psalm 37:4
“The Lord your God is in your midst, a mighty one who will save; he will rejoice over you with gladness; he will quiet you by his love; he will exult over you with loud singing.”
Zephaniah 3:17
“You are my God, and I will give thanks to you; you are my God; I will extol you.”
Psalm 118:28
“Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your heart before him; God is a refuge for us. Selah”
Psalm 62:8
Excerpt from Jesus Listens by Sarah Young
joyfuljoseph 