If you have read my blog for any length of time, you’ve read that I have struggled with my prayer time. Sometimes my mind wanders. Sometimes I’m just not focused enough. Sometimes I’m too tired. Sometimes I’m too lazy. Sometimes I forget. It’s been a frustrating journey for me and one that will continue.

Maybe I continue with this struggle because the evil one is working on me in this area. You see, I’ve come to believe that prayer isn’t just asking God for a wish list. It’s about change, transformation occurring in my life. As I offer my prayers to God, I offer Him a little bit more of me. I trust Him more. I love Him more. I believe Him more.

Of course, that’s not what our enemy wants. So I find myself tempted to do something else, anything else but pray.

I read this prayer by Dag Hammarskjold and realized that this is exactly what communion with God is all about. “Give me a pure heart—that I may see thee. Give me a humble heart—that I may hear thee. Give me a heart of love—that I may serve thee. Give me a heart of faith—that I may abide in thee.”

Beautiful! And it’s exactly what I want in my life.

Scripture leads us to these points as well. Let’s see what God’s Word has to say about these four desires.

That I May See Thee

These words come from Matthew 5:8 (NIV). “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Jesus reminded Philip in John 14:9 that if anyone has seen Jesus, they had seen the Father. As we develop our relationship with Jesus, we develop our relationship with God.

That I May Hear Thee

Jesus shared the importance of hearing and listening in John 8:47 (NIV). “He who belongs to God hears what God says. The reason you do not hear is that you do not belong to God.” As our relationship develops with Jesus, we are able to hear His voice and respond. “My sheep listen to my voice; I know them, and they follow me.” Other verses to consider would be Luke 11:28 and Romans 10:17.

That I May Serve Thee

Jesus, in His teaching among His disciples spoke of service. When it was time to be glorified, Jesus spoke of serving. “The man who loves his life will lose it, while the man who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me; and where I am, my servant will also be.” (John 12:25-26 – NIV)

Romans 12:1 (NIV) reminds us that we serve as we offer ourselves as holy sacrifices to God. “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”

And I love Joshua’s encouragement to the Hebrew nation in Joshua 22:5. He concludes with, “love your God, to walk in all his ways, to obey his commands, to hold fast to him and to serve him with all your heart and all your soul.”

That I May Abide in Thee

I love being in Jesus’ presence and yet, I still struggle with that one-on-one time with Him. If you are in the same situation, let me encourage you with these verses.

“Remain in me, and I will remain in you. No branch can bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.” (John 15:4 – NIV)

“If you obey my commands, you will remain in my love, just as I have obeyed my Father’s commands and remain in his love.” (John 15:10 – NIV)

“I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 – NIV)

Today I pray that you will find time to see Jesus, hear Jesus, serve Jesus and abide with Jesus. There is nothing as precious as being in His presence.

Grace and peace be yours in abundance,

Donna