Today’s 333 Devotional: “Prayer Expected”

Years ago a movie starring Jodie Foster came out called “Contact.” Foster’s character was listening for some sort of signal or message from the heavens. The place where she hung out in this pursuit was New Mexico at the VLA, or “Very Large Array.” It’s one of the worlds’ premier astronomical radio observatories consisting of 27 radio antennas.

Isn’t it interesting the lengths humanity will go to trying to get a message from heaven? And yet, God has clearly spoken to us through His Son, Jesus Christ, and through His word, the Bible.

But God is also interested in hearing from us. King David said of the Lord, “You who hear prayer.” (Psalm 65:2)

Jesus promised that not only would He hear us, but that He will answer us as well.

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened.” (Matthew 7:7-8)

Jesus expects us to pray. Several times He said, “when you pray,” and He told his disciples to always pray.

The Apostle Paul carried this same expectation throughout his letters. To the Colossians he told them to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it.” (Colossians 4:2) To the church in Thessalonica he said, “Pray without ceasing.” (1 Thessalonians 5:17)

Yet we still don’t pray as we should, and this may be caused by our belief that our prayers are not heard, that somehow their being stopped, or that God’s too busy with the more important stuff of administering the universe.

But through belief in Jesus, the way to God’s throne has been opened wide where we can boldly come to God’s throne to find His grace and mercy to help us in our time of need (Hebrews 4:14).

Through belief in Jesus, the Father has opened up the way so we can have direct access to God.