The Biggest Need

Posted: April 19, 2010 at 10:23 am

Remember in yesterday's post I mentioned that I had a bit of an emotional outpouring? Well, it happened during our Sunday Bible Study class yesterday morning. This week we have been discussing prayer and all it can do for us. After sharing so much interesting and profound discussion, I had to share what has been weighing on me with those that I know love me and support me wholeheartedly. It wasn't anything new that was upsetting me, but sharing what has been on my mind with so many was pretty darn emotional.

Anyways, yesterday I really learned something. I recognized that the BIGGEST need in my life, even over my great relationships, is my relationship with God, aka prayer.

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Hands down. Without a doubt. More important than food, sleep, or money. Prayer is where it is at and is what sustains me. Prayer is so incredibly simple and can provide such amazing blessings, yet many people don't understand it or take advantage of it. I want the chance to share with you in this post all the wonderful rewards of prayer. They are greater rewards than even having every one of your heart's desires granted. And they will fulfill your life.

Consider this: prayer is simply conversation and spending time with God. It would be impossible to spend time connecting with God and not see a positive change in our lives. All prayer is is talking to God, just as you would any other relationship you put time into building. You don't need to follow any rules. You don't need to say the "right" thing. You just need to open up, share your heart, and spend time with Him. It will change everything.

just imagine having a cuppa with God

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1. It will change your ways. You can share your struggles and misguided decisions with God, instead of trying to keep it all in. Talking with God, you release the negative parts of yourself and it helps you become a better person. You recognize the ways you can be stronger or more faithful or a better example of love and you have a desire to carry it out. You confess all your misgivings and He helps you release them and overcome them.

2. It will change your confidence. Giving things up to God and asking for His help is very empowering. He is the creator of this universe, so how could you possibly doubt His abilities to help you out? Knowing that God is a loving God and that He is always on our side and looking out for our best interest provides immense peace. Being able to be confident in what God can do can help enable you to go through life confident as well.

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3. It will foster community.Who doesn't love feeling loved and supported? Prayer can open up opportunities for new relationships and stronger foundations in current ones. I know it can be hard to ask someone to pray for you, but imagine the peace in knowing you have people on your side and that you can turn to if needed. Yesterday, once I opened up, I felt an even stronger bond than I currently do with my friends. It was amazing and felt like such a huge release. Being able to unload the weight from our shoulders by sharing with others is a very important part of prayer.

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4. It will change your perspective. I think this is the most important change that comes through prayer. What may start off as a desperate plea for God to fix your problems and provide your "wish list", can ultimately become you seeking His way in your life and having the utmost fulfillment from trusting in Him.  You understand more and more God's love for you and that He is working in your best interest. You learn patience, perseverance, and strength. I love an analogy given in the book we are reading. It is that God is the pier and you are the boat. You don't bring the pier to the boat; you pull the boat into the pier.

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The pier (God) is the sturdy one and going to the pier is the only way you can make it out of the rocky waters and onto firm ground. So with prayer, you grasp the fact that He is the secure one and the only way to be safe is to come to Him and accept His will. There are things that are out of our control and the only way to find contentment in them is to accept God's plan.

Philippians 4:4-7 "Rejoice in the Lord always.  I will say it again: Rejoice!  Let your gentleness be evident to all.  The Lord is near.  Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.  And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."

  • Have you ever noticed positive changes in your life through prayer?
  • What about prayer brings you peace?
  • Or do you find peace in other ways? How are they similar to prayer?

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No Comments to “The Biggest Need”
  1. I need prayer in my life, too. I feel much more stable, positive, and full of faith when I pray. It truly does being me peace like nothing else.

  2. Heather says:

    i used to have the best prayer life and for some reason it’s totally different now. not as in i don’t pray, but it’s almost like a state of mind and not striving for conversation…i’m not sure if that makes sense or not, but it’s definitely something i still have to work on, just like any relationship!

  3. Kelly says:

    I think prayer ALWAYS make me feel better. My problem is trust and faith. I pray about it but then I continue to worry about it. I need to find a way to let it go and allow God to work…but I have a very hard time at trusting…

    • Tina says:

      I can have a really hard time with that too. Especially if it is something I feel like I can do something about. With trying to conceive there is nothing to do but “it” and then play the waiting game. It makes it easier to trust then, since I don’t really have another option right now. LOL

  4. Hallie says:

    I don’t really pray, at least not right now, but the topics in your post have been weighing on me to for awhile. I’ve been asking myself if I can pray or have a relationship with G-d without ascribing to one religion or another…not sure if that makes sense. I’m in an interfaith relationship and I know before my boyfriend and I get married we have to decide how we are going to raise our children when it comes to faith, and it’s a really hard thing to figure out when I’m not totally solid on where I stand on the whole thing.

  5. This is an inspiring post. I really need to mend my relationship with God and grow closer to him. What better way than through prayer!? I’ve also been slacking on my scripture reading…this was a nice reminder! Thanks, Tina!

  6. You’ve gone and done it again. Thanks for sharing just what I needed to hear. It’s amazing how the most important being in my life is the one who is so easily left along the sidelines.

  7. Thank you for this post Tina. I know how important prayer is and I pray before every meal and at night before I go to bed. But I think it’s almost become a habit, more than anything. I don’t put thought into it or really try to have a conversation. I heard once that you talking is only half of praying, the other half is listening to God’s response.

  8. Thanks for that great post! I know for me that life is always so much better when my prayer life is strong. It’s something I’m always trying to do more of and even pray about =)

  9. Jennifer says:

    I needed to read this. My husband’s been in India for a week on business, and I’ve overscheduled myself and my daughter. I find myself feeling impatient and exhausted. I just put Addie down to bed. Now I’m going upstairs to talk to God and to let it all go. Thank you.

  10. homecookedem says:

    I’ve been praying more than I think I ever have before in my life and it feels amazing!!!!!!! It’s wonderful knowing that I can instantly feel connected to God and that he is ALWAYS there ready to listen. For me, it’s also great because I become less selfish. I pray for everyone else too and it makes me so much more aware of the needs of others. I have gotten into a lovely habit of praying each morning on my way to work. I turn off the radio and it starts my day off beautifully. And from there I just keep praying. I pray constantly throughout the day. Without prayer I don’t know how I would make it through tough times. I also know I would not appreciate all of the blessings I have.

    Beautiful, lovely post!! So looking forward to seeing you soon!!

    • Tina says:

      Yes to all of it. I 100% agree that it helps you recognize your blessings so much more, which brings such amazing joy, fulfillment, and peace. I love it! I get more excited by the day to meet you and just share so many similar passions (and struggles) with you. 🙂

  11. Jennifer says:

    Beautiful post. Without a doubt, prayer is what has gotten me through so many hard times. To say it is my staple is a understatement. I am so happy that you shared your feelings with us on the issues and necessity of prayer because you are right, it is our relationship and connection with God. I don’t know how you would feel about emailing me your mailing address, but last year I spoke at a Ladies event and my topic was on “Discovering the power of prayer” I have a copy of it on cd and would Love to send it to you. Just let me know what ya think. Once again, thank you for always being so spiritually uplifting to us all!

  12. jen says:

    Hi Tina,

    I have been lurking in your journal for a while now. I admire your faith and this post is exactly what i needed to read today.

    My family went through a very tough situation this past weekend. My newborn niece who was born on Friday had to undergo open heart surgery Sunday night in a hospital far far away from the rest of the family. I truly believe that it was prayer that gave my sister her strength and my niece her strength to pull through. This is one of those times that I truly felt my prayers being answered the moment I said them (and we know that doesn’t happen that way all the time) Every time I prayed I could just feel God wrap his arms around my family. It was such a peaceful feeling.

    I love love love your blog. I love reading about your faith and your family. Thank You for sharing this with us.

    Love

    Jen

    • Tina says:

      I am so happy to hear this! And praise God that He helped your famly through that. Amazing. And thank you for your kind words. I love just sharing about my many passions and I hope it helps others relate and inspires them or supports them as I know you all support me. I can’t wait to come stop by your blog. 🙂

  13. […] GRASS products!  Not only is Tina a fitness finatic, like us, but she’s also supermom, a faithful Christian, and a REAL person.  I really enjoy reading her blog, where she touches on some deep topics and […]

    • Julie says:

      I love healthy living blogs and I love hearing women speak about their love for God. Thanks so much for being open and honest in your posts about your faith. Our womens bible study starts today and it’s one by Beth Moore on Praying! I’m excited to work on my prayer life.

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