Maybe you are in a real pinch.  Your budget won’t budge this month.  Perhaps you’re wondering what items you need to do without for a while.  It could be that the bills aren’t all getting paid.  Or maybe you’re concerned with how in the world you’re going to pay off that credit card, after buying Christmas presents for the family.

            Maybe you have a strained relationship.  It might be that you’re hurt from a marriage or a love that has gone sour.  Perhaps a friendship is on the rocks, or a family member won’t talk to you.  You’re wondering if it will ever be better, if love will find you again.

            Maybe your church has a legalistic bent.  Perhaps the church is withdrawn into cliques and special interest groups.  It could be that the Spirit hasn’t shown up since 1959.  You’re tired, weary of the chronic sameness and status quo of a stagnant place.

            There is good news… really good news!

Jesus Christ himself said, “My Father will give you whatever you ask for in my name.” (John 15:16).  Prayer is the heartbeat of the church.  The promise of prayer still stands.  God gives.  We receive.  But we must ask!

Sometimes God just gives without us asking.  That’s great.  But God wants so much more for you and me and our churches.  He longs for us to be vitally connected to him, and that connection happens through prayer.  We can bank on the answers to our prayers when we:

Then, “you can pray for whatever you want, and your prayer will be answered.” (John 15:7)

            Perhaps you are skeptical.  You’ve prayed a long time with nothing happening.  You are discouraged and feel like prayer doesn’t work, or that something is wrong with you.  There is a mysterious and mystical aspect to prayer that we will never quite understand.  But I do know that Jesus didn’t put a timetable on the answers – they will come when they come.  They will, however, come.  And maybe we will discover that what we want and need the most is to let God’s will and way be done in us, no matter what it is.  Perhaps the point is to change us, and not always to change our circumstances.

            We have an incredible privilege.  We simply get to ask.  We don’t buy answers to prayer.  We don’t have to do backflips to get God’s attention.  We ask.  We don’t have to try and work to earn God’s favor.  We don’t have to draw up detailed plans like some sort of architectural design to see a fruitful, loving, and powerful church.  We simply ask, and remain closely connected to Jesus.

            So, pray… about everything.  Some of the best prayers you will ever pray are the psalms.  Great prayers can be found in the church fathers from the ancient church.  Beautiful soaring prayers exist from the medieval mystics in church history.  There are also your spontaneous, specific, and special prayers offered to God.  Whatever prayers you pray, in whatever form or shape they come in, the thing to do today is to pray.  I conclude with an ancient one which I pray each week for your use now: