Jesus raised his eyes to heaven and prayed, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me. I know you always do listen….” (John 11:41–42a The MESSAGE)
I love this verse. Jesus not only was aware of His Father listening to Him, He carried an internal emotional memory of His conversations with the Father. In fact so strong is the memory from this conversation, Jesus makes reference to it again to the Father. He and the Father had talked over this moment before Lazarus’s tomb and what was to take place, prior to Jesus being on site before the grave. Jesus’s conversations with His Father left a mark on His memory and remained carried in His heart. For Jesus, conversations with His Father touched the heart because they concerned matters they both cared about and tapped into their longings for the Kingdom to be present to men.
As I mentioned, I love this verse. For me, this passage transforms prayer as a litany of requests into heartfelt conversations with God. As a conversation, it may even plummet the depths of my motivations behind those requests and cause me to seek to better enter the desires of God. I often have to work through things going on in my heart before God, even when they concern His Kingdom. My ego can still be involved. It’s the kind of prayer that can make a memory. Here, Jesus’s desire reflects the heart of His Father. Oh how I wish that were normal for me!
God longs for memorable conversations with you.
For Reflection:
“I love the LORD, because He hears My voice and my supplications” (Psalms 116:1)
- What helps you to engage in prayer as meaningful conversations with your Father?
- When you recall good moments with God in conversation, what made that time with Him memorable?
Just a Thought
Have you ever considered coffee with God? Maybe preparing two cups of coffee for a morning conversation with God and two chairs facing each other might foster a unique experience in prayer. It’s just a thought.
