Entering the Throne Room.

I am blessed so far beyond what I deserve. So very, very far beyond what I deserve. I've been given dear friends and family who have taught me to smile and love and laugh. I've been blessed to attend a phenomenal school where my teachers have taught me to read and think and dream and wonder. And I'm loved more than I'll ever be able to fathom, Christ died to redeem me and my great God loves me dearly and answers prayer.

He answers prayer. Wow. That simple fact blows my mind. The LORD of all creation not only loves me, He's concerned enough with me on a moment-to-moment basis to listen to my cries to heaven and answer those prayers. I hold such enormous power in my ability to enter the Throne Room and beseech the God of the universe. And we're promised that God has the power to do far beyond all that we think to ask or imagine.

Recently God's been teaching me that I don't pray as I ought to. And I don't stop to pray anywhere near as often as I should either. If I really, really believed in my heart(not just in my head) that prayer is truly as powerful as it is, I don't think I'd ever have trouble finding time to stop and pray...I'd struggle with getting off my knees and going about my work for the rest of the day.

In this past week, I've also been really convicted that I rarely pray specifically. It's so much easier to pray in generalizations: "God bless this day, bless all the people in the world"...those prayers sound pretty, but my motivation for praying in generalizations is shameful. I'm fearful and I doubt God's ability to answer prayer. Sometimes it feels safer to not pray in specifics, so I don't. But when I allow fear that God won't answer prayer to keep me from praying, I build up a wall that separates me from Him. Ultimately, though, what is it that I could possibly have to fear?

Not only is my God powerful enough to hear my prayers and answer them, He is loving enough to hold my best interest at heart. Praying specifically allows me to take time each day to fully place my trust in Him, to make myself vulnerable and acknowledge my reliance on God. And in waiting to hear his answer, I grow closer to Him. So I'll celebrate the power of prayer with great thanksgiving, for my God listens to my prayers and is powerful to answer them.