2 Scriptures
- “The tax collector stood at a distance and prayed, ‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’” – Luke 18:13
- “He is not far from each one of us.” – Acts 17:27
5 Lessons
I. Prayer isn’t instinct, it’s something we learn.
Most people assume they know how to pray. But when life breaks open and the soul is exposed, many realize they actually don’t. True prayer isn’t performance folks, it’s surrender.
II. We assume God is far, but our hearts often are.
You don’t need to shout to reach heaven. You don’t need polished words or perfect posture. God is near, He always has been. The problem is not His distance but our deafness.
III. The modern soul is numb.
We’re overstimulated, overinformed, and under-connected to anything real. We’ve grown spiritually dull, and when crisis hits, people scramble to pray, but their soul doesn’t know how to speak.
IV. Prayer begins with brokenness.
It’s not beauty, nor is it spiritual eloquence. Just brokenness.
“God, have mercy on me, a sinner”, that’s where real prayer begins. It’s the cry of a heart that’s done pretending and forcing.
V. Only a child can call Him Father.
Prayer isn’t for the religious. It’s for the reborn. You’re not born a child of God, you become one when you denounce sin, surrender & trust in Jesus Christ. Then, and only then, does your voice reach heaven like a child calling home.
1 Prompt
Go somewhere quiet today. Just you and God. Don’t rehearse or look for perfect words. Just start with this: “God, have mercy on me. I want to know You for real.”
That’s where real prayer starts.
Quote of the week
“Prayer will make a man leave off sin, or sin will make a man leave off prayer.”– John Bunyan