Allowing God to Invade Your Prayer Life

I thought my summer was going to include some relaxing times and trips to visit family and friends. Instead, my father’s declining health required a change of plans so I could help my parents as his situation became increasingly difficult.

I was expecting his imminent death, but there was still some shock when he passed away suddenly at the breakfast table. I’m grateful that God’s peace was so evident for my family as we walked through all the planning and decisions that go along with the death of a loved one.

What I did not expect were the many stories about my dad that surfaced from family and friends—a very intimate look into a somewhat unknown part of his life.

In his more than 50 years as a community banker in a small town, my dad built personal relationships with his customers. He did not view them as financial transactions. Out of those relationships came stories. Several times I heard a common phrase: “You have no idea what your dad did for us.”

One man told me that Dad helped him when he did not have enough money to return to college. Not knowing what to do, this man visited my dad (without his parents’ knowledge) to ask for help. As he put it, “Your dad believed in me and took a risk.” Dad gave him the money he needed to return to school—and told him to pay it back when he could (not your conventional banking practice!). The student started a Navigators group on campus that semester, and was instrumental in leading 40 people to Christ. Many are now pastors, missionaries, or Christian businesspeople.
I also learned of several times when my parents came alongside people in crisis—in very messy situations—and led them on a path toward healing through Christ.

So Much More

I wish I had asked my father more questions and invited him to tell me more stories. I’m not surprised at what I heard because it matches his character. Yet there was so much more to his life than what I knew.

It can be the same way with my heavenly Father. I may think I know Him and understand His character, but if I have not been intentional in spending intimate time with Him, how can I know the depths of who He is? It is easy for my prayer life to revolve around my personal needs and concerns. But how often do I pause to seek out intimate moments with the Lord and allow Him to speak into my life, deepen my understanding of Him, or simply saturate me with His love?

This issue is about embracing intimacy with God and allowing Him to invade our otherwise self-focused prayer lives. Jamie Overholser writes about “doing the dance” with God and learning to be comfortable with vulnerability and closeness. Pat Chen explains ways God is intentional in His relationship with us, and ways we need to do the same. Sandra Higley highlights “intimacy blockers” and steps to overcoming them.

The reward for knowing Jesus more intimately is this: “As we know Jesus better, his divine power gives us everything we need to live a godly life” (1 Peter 2:3, NLT). I want my life to reflect more of the deeply personal moments I have spent with the Lord. With joy and confidence, I want to say to others, “Oh, you have no idea what my Father has done for me.”

CAROL MADISON is editor of Prayer Connect.