Invited to the Best Life Ever: Prayer

But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. (Matthew 6:6)

Jesus is inviting us into the best life ever. God is at work in the world, especially in the lives of those who are poor, weak, humble—perhaps because they are ready to surrender and ready to receive what is good for us.

What is good for us? It ends up that there are a lot of things that look good, but aren't so good for us after all. Things like spending all day surfing the TV or internet. Or eating a lot of sugar. Things like getting our own way. Or having lots and lots of stuff. Things like never having to work hard, or go through hardships. Things like knowing all the right answers and always being right. Things like getting our own way, and ignoring the needs of others.

Some things aren't as good for us as we sometimes think they are.

Jesus is inviting us into the best life ever, and sometimes that means calling us back to a lot of the things that we should have known all along were good for us. Things like trust, and surrender. Things like relying less on our stuff and the busy-ness of our distractions and hobbies.

Things like stopping and breathing, resting and listening, working through our struggles and feelings, returning to simplicity and connection and a life that is connected to the rest of the universe. Things like prayer.

Sometimes, the best life ever isn't based on things that are showy and obvious, but on the prayers that are whispered in secret, the habits that are formed behind closed doors. God sees. God hears. And God rewards us when our hearts are tuned to receive his rewards.

Sometimes, the best life ever isn't based on things that are showy and obvious, but on the prayers that are whispered in secret, the habits that are formed behind closed doors.

Every Sunday in our 10 a.m. worship service we try to focus together on God's loving relationship with us, and with all the rest of the world as well. Come join us, especially if you need a reminder. And if you'd like a chance to get together mid-week to learn about the Bible with a small group, we've started a Creation to Christ Bible study on Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 7 p.m.

--Jonathan