Praying without saying a word

Jesus said, “Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need” (v. 33 NLT). You ask, “When I think about God, is that the same as praying?” It can be. We’re all familiar with the power of unspoken communication. Many of us grew up with parents who didn’t have to say a thing to make their will known. It may have been a certain look in their eye or some other unspoken signal. But we knew exactly what was being communicated and how we were expected to respond. Prayer works that way too. When you think about God, it’s prayer; and when God communicates His thoughts back to you, it’s a form of answered prayer. A little boy wanted a bicycle for Christmas, and one night he was praying at the top of his voice, telling God exactly what kind and colour of bike he wanted. His mother said, “Son, you don’t need to shout for God to hear you.” He replied, “I know Mama, but I need to shout if Grandpa is going to hear me and buy me that bike!” The truth is, you don’t need to shout for God to hear you, and you don’t need to try and conjure up answers to your prayers. Jesus said, “Your heavenly Father knows what you need before you even ask.” So why even take the time to pray? Because God wants you to approach Him with confidence, trust Him with all your needs, and build a relationship with Him. That’s what it’s all about!