Someone's gotten me thinking about the reasons why I pray to my Heavenly Father. First of all, I look at prayer as a means of communication. Prayer is an affirmation that He's there, when He answers and even when He tells me to be quiet and listen up. I have His Word to tell me what He thinks about me, but somehow mysteriously, speaking His Word back to Him increases my trust in Him, deepens my faith in Him, causes me to continually fall in love with Him, and renews my acceptance of His offered grace to me. Asking Him for something, from small to gargantuan matters, is about accepting His power and His sufficiency to do what I can only attempt to do. There's a verse in Jeremiah (or maybe Ezekial) that says I will show you great and mighty things which you have not seen". It's a promise. A blatant promise. I could maybe even say it's a dare.

Of course, God can do anything, He already has - He created you and I, but for my benefit He dares me to ask Him to show me great and mighty things. He sometimes even tells me what to pray for. What I have learned is that what I ask for doesn't deepen my relationship with my Heavenly Father, and Jesus, my constant Companion. It's the fact He's answered. But it doesn't just benefit me. It benefits those who I share my story with. It causes hope. It propels people into the direction of praying outrageous prayers. And along the way, they'll realize it's not about the receiving but the fact He has answered.

Once upon a time, I prayed an outrageous prayer. Much of the prayer wasn't even of my own making. He answered and I am only just beginning to realize the power of that answered prayer. That blessing is only the side effect of spending time with Him, and that blessing is a thread that draws me back to Him. Amen.