"Blessed assurance; Jesus is mine."

If you know me at all, you probably know how much politics interest me and how much I enjoy having political conversations. I definitely don't know a lot, but I love hearing other opinions and views. Recently, I watched Barack Obama's speech after the tragic shooting in Oregon. At one point in his speech, he said, "America will wrap everyone who's grieving with our prayers and our love... But our thoughts and prayers are not enough." To keep that statement in context, he continued to discuss his desire for tighter gun control laws and more regulation. Despite any personal political views, I was struck with sadness when I heard this statement. I understand his point was that something must be done to keep these tragedies from occurring, yet it hurt my heart hearing someone undermine the power of prayer.

Growing up in a sweet, Christian home and choosing to follow Jesus at nine years old, I've always known the importance of prayer. It began as something you say before a meal and before you fall asleep, and has grown into a continual dialogue throughout the day. However, it's funny how the Lord continues to teach you something that you thought you knew nearly everything about. Throughout the past two months, I've been overwhelmed with all the Lord has continued to teach me about prayer.

A month or so ago, I found myself praying for someone and ending my request with, "if it's Your will." Although it is so necessary for us to pray within the will of Christ and have a heart of humility, knowing His thoughts are so much higher than ours, I was convicted in the way I said that. I realized that when I asked the Lord for something bold, I didn't fully believe He could or would do it. Deep in the corners of my heart, I was afraid of getting disappointed. So, in order to avoid this, I "softened" my audacious prayer.

In doing so, I've missed out on so much. Instead, I began to pray general prayers asking the Lord to bless so-and-so and that the Lord would continue to teach us about Himself. By not praying specifically and boldly, I was safe from feeling any disappointment. I was also safe from seeing any miracles. Without asking for specific things from the Lord, I missed out on any chance of seeing Him answer those prayers.

One of my favorite books of the Bible is Hebrews, which is filled with words like "certainty" and "confidence." Hebrews 4:16 says to draw near to the throne of grace with confidence. Hebrews 6: 19 tells us that we have a hope that enters into the inner place behind the curtain. Hebrews 10:19 says we have confidence to enter the holy places by Jesus' blood. Hebrews 10:22 says to draw near with a heart in full assurance of faith.

We have this unbelievable opportunity to approach the Lord with confidence, yet we so often miss it because we're afraid. In a sermon by Matt Chandler, he talks about the importance of devoting yourself to prayer. He references Isaiah 62:6-7:

"On your walls, O Jerusalem, I have set watchmen; all the day and all the night they shall never be silent. You who put the Lord in remembrance, take no rest, and give him no rest until he establishes Jerusalem and makes it a praise in the earth."

He explains that verse and says one of the sweetest, craziest things I've ever heard: God loves being "bothered" by his children so much that he literally appoints people to bother him.
We are loved by a God who tells us to pray to him and "give him no rest."

He delights in our prayers. He delights in our asking. Our tiniest prayers are no less important than our big prayers. Our prayers aren't something that the Lord endures for our sake, they're something that he desires. And when we pray, things happen. It may not be that our circumstances turns in the opposite direction, or things fall into place exactly how we want, but the Lord is still working. It may not change my situation, but it changes me.

God is a good, good Father with good, good plans for us. Like a sweet dad who adores his child, the Lord desires for us to cry out the needs and hopes we have for our lives. Christ's power is shown the strongest in our weakest moments. We can entrust our life and our future to a God who cares for us and asks us to come.

Let us be known as people whose lives overflow with an unshakable confidence in an unshakable God.