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The subject of prayer is a vast one. There are many that are able to express themselves in prayer beautifully. While others feel uncomfortable with the whole thing, and would rather just have others keep them in prayer. But there is another group that I believe are the greater percentage of Believers. They make up the enormity of many who feel like they sound flat when they pray, or they feel like everything they say is dumb. They are totally self focused about every word they say and how they say it, until they have done everything but pray. Therefore with their prayers they unpray their prayers.

There are others that feel that they can never pray for themselves, and keep themselves out of the beautiful, personal relationship born out of prayer with Christ. There are others who spend money on books that teach them how to pray. What to say in prayer, what not to say in prayer. They buy books on already written out prayers that end up as dusty forgotten, unused books on their shelves.

One of the key ingredients to prayer that has been the pitfall of natural flowing prayer is the absence of the assurance of the presence of the Lord.  It is easy to look back at their past and see Christ in every step of their way. They remember how the Lord delivered them out of trials. They remember every moment He comforted them. Therefore they see a "past Christ." They can also look into a future and believe that Christ will see them through the next year. They can see that Christ will walk them through this and through that. They believe in a "future Christ." But there is a stark absence of that reality in the "here and now Christ" in every breathing minute.

His presence is what causes the feet of the Believers to slip, and some to fall, while others deem themselves "unheard" of by God because they say they cannot determine His presence, so therefore they go away sad. This must not be the case. Prayer is between the person and God. There must not be any middle-men, or applications of theologians even if they are the mighty men and women of old. It will never work.  Not until that Believer comes to Christ boldly, and that boldness only comes with the confident knowing that Jesus is in every present moment in life. Not a God that has to be coaxed out of heaven, and begged for His listening ear.

In reality, the true prayer of the saints is really only that of the heart, WITH the knowing reality that God is "a very present help in trouble." He is not just present, but VERY present. When you pray, remember first and foremost that the presence of the Lord is as much with you NOW as with Abraham. As much with you NOW as with Moses, or Isaiah, or Paul and the apostles.  When you come to terms with this truth, prayer then takes on a new life, and the beauty of that friendship with God explodes with the power of an endless life.  Contact:

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Website: www.joaniestahl.com