Speaking to God

Speaking to God
From Timeless Grace Gems
Francis Bourdillon, 1873

Prayer is speaking to God from the heart. Whenever we confess our sins to God and ask Him to forgive us; whenever we tell Him our fears, our troubles, our anxieties; whenever we lay our needs before Him and beg Him to help us—then we pray. We may speak to God in our own words, or in the words of others. We may speak to Him aloud, or only in our thoughts. We may kneel down and pray in a room, or we may lift up our hearts as we walk along the street. We may speak to God anywhere and at any time—for He is everywhere. He can hear every word we say. He can read even our secret thoughts, and He is always ready to receive our prayers.

Is not this wonderful? We cannot speak thus to everybody. I dare say, if you wished to ask a favor of some great lord, you would find it difficult to get to him; and if you wanted to speak to the queen, you would find it harder still.

Yet you may always speak to God. Whenever your heart feels disposed, you may pray. You need not wait for a better time; you may do it at once. You must often wait if you want to speak to men, but you may always speak to God.

How many things we have to say to God! How many sins to confess—how many neglected duties to own! How much we have to praise Him for! How many things we have to ask His help in! How many troubles we meet with, in which God alone can comfort us! What would we do if we might not speak to God?

Yet many never do speak to Him. Have they never heard of Him? Do not they know that they may speak to Him?

Are you one who lives without speaking to God? Ah! You know not what you lose. Do your sins never make you uneasy? God would forgive them all, if you would speak to Him from your heart and beg for pardon through Jesus Christ. Do you not need help against temptation—something to incline your heart to God and make you wish to serve Him? God would give you His Holy Spirit if you asked Him.

Why don't you pray? Why don't you speak to God? Are you afraid? God will not be angry with you. He is pleased when any poor sinner draws near to speak to Him through Jesus Christ. Come, lift up your heart to God. Speak to Him. Tell Him you are a poor sinner who needs His mercy—and beg Him to hear you, forgive you, and help you.

But perhaps you still do not know what to say to God; perhaps you do not feel sorry for sin and have not even a wish to pray. What shall I say to you? I will still say the same—pray. Speak to God about it. Ask Him to make you sorry for your sins, to teach you how to pray, to give you the wish to pray.

There must be a beginning. A man once said to Jesus Christ, "Lord, teach us to pray," and Jesus Christ did teach him to pray. He will teach you too, if you ask Him. Let this be your beginning: "Lord, teach me to pray."