What Keeps You From Going to God?

Have you felt nervous about your prayers? Maybe you’ve wondered if you need to be desperate, use the right words, or pray at certain times in order to get the answer you want.

Jesus taught us to pray. He modeled prayers for His disciples, but He didn’t give a list of rules for prayer. His template, “Our Father who art in heaven…” invites a personal, anytime, anywhere kind of relationship. And this verse about God never needing sleep guarantees He’s always available and ready to listen.

It is incomprehensible to me to imagine life without sleep.  As a mom I learned to crave it and even made it an idol.  Even in my empty nest years I still spend many days doing my tasks while longing for nightfall and permission to go to sleep.

I have wished slumber weren’t so necessary. When I was younger, I ignored my need for physical rest, pulling a few all-nighters in college, staying up late after my kids were in bed to keep creating or reading a great book, in general trying to press my limits. But I always regretted it the next day. To be bone weary after ignoring my sleep needs wasn’t worth the extra few hours of accomplishment.

Someday the confines of this earthly body will be gone and the promise of being made in the image of Jesus, with a glorified body, will be reality. To be unencumbered by fatigue sounds wonderful!

And it might be fun, too. Remember Jesus appeared in rooms without walking in the door? And He walked on water! What freedoms might we enjoy one day when we are with Him?

For now, you and I are too confined to our earthly bodies, the tents in which we now reside.

But God. He neither slumbers nor sleeps!

What a spectacular difference between our ever-present Father and us!

So even when we are tired, and most women live tired, we may at any time, in any place, for any reason confidently approach “the throne of grace that we may receive help in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

When I awake startled from a harrowing nightmare, wake repeatedly with a sick child, or toss with the insomnia of an anxious heart, His eyes—and His heart—are wide open.  Is there anyone else like Him?  No lover, no ruler, no mother can even compare to His unshakeable open door policy.

Boldly—with confidence is the way God Himself tells us— approach His throne.  Not cautiously, fearfully, or only during certain hours.  Simply stunning is our access to our God.

Do you know Jesus?  If you have surrendered your life to His safekeeping, this is the kind of relationship He wants: free, unlimited access at any time day or night.  Run to Him boldly, in every hour—and give thanks that He is perpetually available to your every need.