Not Talking to Yourself

And this is the confidence that we have toward him…. 
1 John 5:14 (ESV)

Have you ever poured out your heart to someone, only to realize they weren’t really listening?

A man is talking to one of his buddies about his marriage. “You know, my wife has a big problem,” he says. “She goes around the house talking to herself all of the time.” His friend says, “Man, that’s just terrible. Does she know she’s doing it?” The man says, “No. She thinks I’m listening to her.”

You will never have that problem with God. God is always listening and always hearing. His door is never locked, His schedule is never full, and appointments are unnecessary.

But notice who the Apostle John is talking to in today’s verse, because this promise is not for everybody. “And this is the confidence that we have toward him….” The “we” are true followers of Jesus, those born again into God’s family. Only children of God can really approach God with confidence, praying to Him as their Father.

There are three men in my life named James, Jonathan, and Joshua. When they were young, they figured out that if they ever really need anything, they can always come to Dad, and I still prove it to them now that they’re grown. No matter what else I am doing, my door is always open, and if I can possibly get to it, I’ll always answer their call. That’s not true for many other people, but it’s true for my family.

Prayer is a distinctly Christian privilege. As a child of God, you can always go to your heavenly Father. You can know, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that He will be there, waiting, watching, and willing to spend as much time with you as you’re willing to spend with Him.

Think about that for a moment. The door’s always open to you. So next time you’re sitting in your driveway, dreading a hard conversation, or lying awake at 2:00 AM replaying the mistake you made yesterday, remember You’re His child. You can come to Him.

When you pray, you are never talking to yourself. You are talking to a Father who has been waiting by the door to give you the only advice you’ll ever need.

Prayer: Father, thank You that I never need an appointment to come to You. Forgive me for all the moments and days I am too preoccupied to come to You, Lord. Remind me that I am Your child and Your door is always open. I’m bringing You what’s on my mind right now. In Jesus’ name, Amen.