Prayer, Abiding in the Vine

We would take turns doing it every night before dinner.

Mine always sounded the same.

"Thank you for this day and this food. Amen."

Was I shy about praying in front of everyone? Was I so in awe of God, I did not know how to talk to Him? Did I not grasp what prayer truly was?

The answer to all of these questions is "yes." I was young and young in my faith and did not understand the power of prayer.

It is now my desire to pray. I want to be in the presence of my loving Father and while my prayers are not eloquent and my words are far from profound, I know prayer is an act of obedience.

One of my favorite quotes by C.S. Lewis is, "I pray because I can't help myself. I pray because I'm helpless. I pray because the need flows out of me all the time, waking and sleeping. It doesn't change God. It changes me."

It is the aim of the Christian to become more and more like Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit working the maturing process inside.

But how can we become like Someone if we do not spend time with Him?

This reminds me of John 15:4-5, "Abide in Me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in Me. I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in Me, and I in him, bears much fruit; for without Me you can do nothing."

A fruit would die if it did not have the vine. In the same sense, Jesus is our life line for us to bear spiritual fruit.

We must persist in our relationship and hold fast to Him. Prayer is one way to this as we share our thanks, our praises, our petitions and our hearts with Him.

I might not understand the mysteries of prayers, but I do know we are called to do so and that call comes from a loving Father who longs to hear from us and wants to sanctify us as we grow closer to Him.

One thing I do know is that through prayer, things change. One aspect is my heart as I abide in Him.