"O LORD, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; youperceive my thoughts from afar. You discern my going out and my lying down; you are familiar with all my ways. Before a word is on my tongue you know it completely, O LORD."   Psalm 139:1-4 (NIV)

 

 

I was helping teach a class the other night and was blessed to have been given the section on prayer. I love prayer! I can’t express enough how much I love to pray and go before our Abba Father. 

 

As I was preparing for this class I had a lot of scripture to go over, some was already in the class materials and some the Lord put on my heart. At one point I had to stop because the Lord started to teach me about His delight in us when we ask. 

 

I don’t recall ever meditating on why God tells us He knows everything about us, our thoughts, our words, when we sit and when we rise, yet He says to come to Him with everything and present our requests to Him. Why does the One who knows all and sees all want us to come to Him and ask? One reason that is given is that we need Him and we are dependant upon Him for our every need. We are surrendering our will power to try to make things happen and seeking His hand for our provision, protection, healing and covering.   

 

But the Lord gave me deeper insight when He had me think of my children. The image He gave me was one of my youngest coming into the kitchen with his spill proof cup in hand and asking me for more chocolate milk followed by a set of instructions on how to make it.  A smile came across my face because I got it! I got why the Lord longs for us to come to Him and ask. 

 

When my little one comes to me wanting a cup of milk, he really doesn’t need to ask me because I already know what he’s going to ask before it comes out of his mouth. We have been through the same routine several hundred times and I don’t even have to see the cup in his hand to know what he is going to ask. But I let him ask anyway because I LOVE when he asks me for something. There is something that stirs this mother’s heart when her children come to her and ask. It tells me they trust me, they look to me as their provider and they need me. I take great delight in their request and it pleases me to hear the sound of their voice offering up their request to me. 

 

When we go before our Father and offer up our prayers and requests, it must put a smile on His face. It stirs the Father’s heart that His children are dependent upon Him and He loves to hear the sound of His children’s voices rising up to the Heavenlies, calling out, “Abba Father,” and declaring their needs and making their petitions in His name. 

 

Pray with me:   Lord, I praise You. Your word tells us to approach the throne of grace with confidence. Thank You Father that we can come to You and ask. Forgive us for the times we do not ask and help us to see it’s because You love us that You want us to ask of You. We are so thankful to have a real and active love relationship with You Lord and I pray that You continue to prune each of us, taking away any independence we may have sown in our hearts, minds and souls. Teach us to know the joy of depending on You and You alone and fill us with Your joy. Lord I pray we would come before Your throne with boldness, joy and great excitement.