This is the Truth Network. Encouraging prayer. God offers an open invitation for His people to talk with Him at any time about anything. On encouraging prayer, Dr. James Banks, author of the best-selling Prayers for Prodigals and many other books on prayer, provides weekly biblical insight to help you learn to love to pray.
And now, here's James. How fun today on encouraging prayer! I can't think of a more delightful title. Enjoying prayer, and so I'm ready, James. Let's enjoy it.
Yeah, you know, I think when we when we talk about prayer, it's so important to cover this aspect because.
So often we tend to think of prayer as something that oh I've got to do it you know I mean if we're honest if we're honest there are those days where it's like oh man do I really have to pray again and if if you've ever been in that place and I think we've all been there ah it's just good to know that there's another way and that's that's not to say that you know you don't have to do the work of prayer. Yeah, that's that's all part of it, but you know, prayer is kind of like it's it's like medicine, and as my nanny Mary Poppins used to say, Mary Poppins, like. Did she used to say "super califragilistic?" No, no, no, no, no. The spoonful.
Well, now think about. Come on, think about the movie. Think about the movie. You know what was thinking about it? What was the name of the family?
The Banks. Oh, oh, oh!
So she's been hanging around the Banks family. I mean, that was Jane and Michael, but she's been hanging around the Banks family for generations. And she used to say, "A spoonful of sugar makes the medicine." Go down. There you go. There's a sweetness about this that that we don't want to miss.
So I want to just go there because you know the Scripture says in the Westminster Confession, chief end of humanity is to you know glorify God and enjoy Him, enjoy Him forever. And if we miss that, we miss so much.
So. Just to start, you know, sometimes you've got to work through the work part. If you just decide I'm going to do this, even if it's going to be work, if it seems like work, then God meets you in that place and helps you go to another place. And there are little things that you can do, kind of tweaks along the way, if you will, that make the medicine go down and. You know, I was just just today after lunch.
I went out for a brief walk, and I was praying about what we were going to be talking about today. Just enjoying God, and as soon as I started to pray about it, I heard not one, not two, but three owls in the woods. Right nearby. I mean, this was, you know, a part of the animals. In the afternoon.
In the afternoon. Yeah, it had been raining. I guess they'd come out after the rain to hunt, but they were all three echoing off of each other, and I just thought, "Thank you, God." You know, because I, as I was walking along, I was determined to just talk with Jesus. Imagine that He's right there with me. That he's walking with me, and and doing that makes prayer real.
And God made it all the more real by just that little wink. You know, three owls. How often do you get that? Like who? Who?
It was a a trinity of owls.
So, I you know I love. The Sixteenth Psalm, and in His presence, in His presence, is fullness of joy, right? And and I don't think you can. And our pleasures forever, and His right hand, our pleasures forevermore. And it's amazing how playful, right?
That I have discovered that He is, yeah. And so, just like you, I mean, I had this recent experience, like yesterday. I was playing with my granddaughter, and she was really just beating on my head and throwing blankets over me. And then she would scream in my ear, which she doesn't know I wear hearing aids. Where are you, Papa?
You know, she would scream like that, which would you know, just shock. But it was so fun, and we were having so much fun. I asked Tammy on the way home. I, I said, Tammy, do you think? God wants us to play with Him like that.
I just wonder because you know I'd heard several of your podcasts in the previously, and I thought you know that's a James Banks topic.
Well, you know I get up when God wakes me up, and it's not very often one thirty, but it was this morning, and so I just tell Him wake me up. I go into my normal, okay, Lord. You know, I know you got me up for a reason, but just man, just thank you for an amazing time last night, and and oh golly, what you did for my heart with playing with Margie, my granddaughter, and and and I said, oh, and by the way, do you want us to play with you like she was playing with me? And I no more got the words out of my mouth or slash out of my heart to him, and. Kaboom!
This thunder, but it wasn't just a regular thunderbolt that was scary. It was this, like he was bowling, yeah, the long thrown out, yeah, fifty seconds or sixty seconds, and very shortly thereafter another one. And I'm listening and thinking, oh, you're playing with me. You're just playing with me, right? And then all of a sudden, he slips it into my spirit.
What is this? Where are you, Papa? And you know, I just knew that. Oh yeah, yeah. He he wants not just word.
He wants relationship. He wants to have fun. He's all about. And and that's the important thing because talking about enjoying God when we pray isn't superficial. It's actually a very serious thing because if you're really in a relationship with Him, then relationships are going to have the whole gamut.
Of dynamics, but I think about what David said in Psalm one twenty two one. At least I think that's the Psalm of David. Said I was glad when they said to me, "Let us go to the house of the Lord." So he's going to a place of prayer, and he's glad, you know. And how does that contrast with how we feel sometimes about praying, you know? And I again, I'm not meaning to to sound holier than I am because sometimes I feel that way.
And I think if we're honest with God about that, but just go to Him anyhow and and keep loving Him, then then He'll meet us in beautiful ways, and you know don't leave out the fun while you do. Oh, I couldn't agree with you more because I can't tell you you know I I talk about the. The good mornings, but the other mornings are where I spend. And literally, I it's been on numerous occasions that I'll spend over an hour. Like, where are you?
I can't feel you. I just don't. Right. And often, what God has taught me, like you said, find a piece of scripture, and I'm just going to hang on it. I know.
I I don't know why I don't feel you. This is truth right here. I'm holding on to this God. This truth. And and just I'm holding on.
I don't know why. I I don't feel like we're connecting here. Like why is this going on with you know person my, congregation or whatever? And um, I'm with you. There's there's a lot of times that are just that.
But hang on, this be a good time to pray. I'm guessing.
So I'll go for it. Lord, I thank you for James and his heart for you and his heart for prayer. And I pray. This would help somebody the next time they're really struggling, or maybe just invite somebody to go someplace they hadn't gone before.
However, it works, Lord, it's in your hands. You're amazing; you never cease to amaze me, for sure. And I know James as well. Lord, I pray it would wet the appetites of all of us. To do a lot more of it in Jesus' name, I pray.
Amen. Amen. You can hear more from Pastor James by visiting his website jamesbanks.org or by visiting Peace Church in Durham, North Carolina. May God bless you and encourage you as you pray.
