Seeds of Promise Series by Shenica Graham

Maximizing Ministry Part III

Prayer Matters

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Time is fleeting and irreplaceable. Whether you spend an hour or a second on any one occupation, you can never get that moment or group of moments back. In other words, your time is priceless. Allotting such a hot commodity may require changing your comfortable routines to allow one-to-one communication with a friend who is closer than a brother (Proverbs 18:24).

Did you know that time, not any tangible thing, is your most valuable asset? Since God chooses to be your friend, He takes pleasure in your choosing to spend time with Him. In light of the value God places on His friendship with you, a good way to begin your time is by thanking God for the opportunity to strengthen your personal relationship with Him.

Since we are made in the image of God, we do well to recognize the significance of our closeness to God by design. We have thoughts, emotions and personal will. We have these traits in common with God. When He says that His ways are not our ways and His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isaiah 55:8), we should not take those words to mean that God does not understand or is unable to relate to our needs. In fact, we can read in the word that God is touched by the movement our hearts; and He knows exactly how we feel (Hebrews 4:15a). He is more intimately knowledgeable and concerned with your life and wellbeing than any other person. Thus, God is a perfect example of a best friend.

You may have heard the hymn, What A Friend We Have In Jesus, only half a million times unto this day. Still, it is a wonder that some believers do not treat their relationship with Christ as lovingly as they do friendships with other people whom they call friends. God calls you his friend if you do His will (John 15:15). Have you ever examined God’s approach to friendship? How does he show his care for you? In fact, He extends to you the highest quality of friendship: love… And that love is so great (John 15:13) that He allowed His own son to take your place on the cross (John 3:16), to secure your opportunity to live with Him in eternity.

God values your friendship so much that although He is an omnipotent King, he does not treat you as a servant (John 15:15). God is willing to share His wisdom, resources and power with you. All He asks in return in your trust in Him and support of His will in your life. For this we can take the example of Abraham, with whom God established a lasting covenant, according to Abraham’s faith in God and willingness to be in total submission to His creator (James 2:23).

Having a friend you can trust on this earth is a blessing (James “confession is good for the soul.” However, we must be careful that we do not depend solely, or primarily on the human sounding board. We should not forget that God has all the answers; and his advice is never flawed, biased or just plain wrong. Never be afraid or reluctant to be totally honest with God. If you feel any need to ask forgiveness from God, do it. And even if you know you have lived salvation to the best of your ability all day long, it is yet good to ask God to forgive anything that may have offended someone, although it was not your intent to injure their feelings. Repent and ask for forgiveness for anything of offense; ask God to speak to you from His heart; and be prepared to listen to Him