Native Americans had it right all along. We can talk About God all day long, learn all the Theology, memorize scripture, and even tirelessly do good deeds, but at the end of the day it doesn’t build relationship with the Divine, especially if this is limited to one or two days a week. It’s a shallow belief to think we can check off our time at church each week and call it faith. The meeting together is meant to provide opportunities for learning, sustaining and building our faith, singing praises, praying in unity, and strengthening our resolve to maintain that personal conversation with God for the whole week.
“The Lord is near to all who call on Him, to all who call on Him in Truth…”Psalm 145:18
Prayer is our conversation with the Divine. Prayer is an element of ceremony. It is not rote prayers of esoteric rituals that builds the relationship between you and God, however. It’s the hard talks of unhappiness, addiction, shame, lifestyle choice, unruly children, unfairness at work, relationship issues, marriage problems, along with your thanksgiving, happy moments, and healing miracles you have privately with Him. Just you and God. This is your daily ceremony. Is it time to begin, renew, or rearrange your thinking about your relationship with the Divine? Talk TO God not just about Him.
“Jesus often withdrew to lonely places and prayed.” Luke 5:16