"It's not called talking to God, It's just crazy...crazy"

"It's not called talking to God. It's just crazy...crazy. And if you are hearing voices, you need help." ~ library patron

As I was sitting at the library this morning I heard these words from one of the patrons after expressing here frustration about someone who asked a friend if they had prayed about a rough situation they were going through. I do believe it is talking to God, but I agree that it is often the craziest thing to do.

Admittedly, prayer was and still is one of the biggest struggles I have in my spiritual walk. When God met me on an island in the Adirondacks about six years ago, I wasn't even a lukewarm Christian. I went to church and was even a part of the praise team, but for me it was an opportunity to be a part of the show. I could say that I went to church and I participated, but my faith was non-existent. I didn't read scripture or pray except before meals (sometimes), and hardly paid attention in church. I wasn't experiencing God in any way. After Christ grabbed hold of me I had no support structure or mentor to nurture my faith. Although my life started to turn around, I still fell short often. It was prayer that saved me.

After I shared my story at camp during that trip, I was prayed for by my counselor and other campers. My life was rocked and spun around. When one of my best friends died in a car accident it was prayer that got me through. When I was able to share my story fully with the people I trusted, it was prayer that gave me the confidence to live in the light. Since then, I've been able to pray with and encourage others and watch God shape His ministry at the college I attended and in my current ministry as a youth director. God has guided me through His spirit towards people to pray for or talk to. Prayer is the opportunity to be in constant communion with God, but it's just crazy.

It's hard for us, especially without "proof", to believe that our prayers can change things, to believe that God can reshape our entire world through a conversation with Him. This conversation can feel like we are talking to ourselves and we may even hear a voice in our head and yes, that means we need help. We lift our hearts to God in prayer and worship because we can't do this on our own. He desires our hearts and our lives. He wants to be in communion with us. Prayer is our opportunity. Through communion with God there is healing and restoration and true joy.

Prayer is crazy because our world tells us we need to do something tangible to fix things. Prayer is not a passive form of action. If we listen, God will direct our actions and make His will known to us. Prayer takes a lot of patience and a lot of listening. It's a crazy thing to do when the world tries to keep us in motion. My hope and prayer for you today is that you would believe in the power of prayer and that God would bless you through your communion with Him. If you have any prayer requests, post them here, in a facebook message, or the phone is always a good option. I would love to pray with you.