Praying to a Friend

Prayer. Communing with God. It’s talking to God as a friend. He wants to hear from us! When you talk to your friends, do you enjoy hearing from them? Or would you prefer if they never reached out to you, never spoke to you, and never made an effort to come and see you? Of course you’d choose the first option. You enjoy talking to friends! That’s how it is with God. He wants to talk to you as a friend. He’s a loving, kind God that wants to get to know you.

“The soul that turns to God for its help, its support, its power, by daily, earnest prayer, will have noble aspirations, clear perceptions of truth and duty, lofty purposes of action, and a continual hungering and thirsting after righteousness. By maintaining a connection with God, we shall be enabled to diffuse to others, through our association with them, the light, the peace, the serenity, that rule in our hearts. The strength acquired in prayer to God, united with persevering effort in training the mind in thoughtfulness and care-taking, prepares one for daily duties and keeps the spirit in peace under all circumstances.”—(Thoughts from the Mount of Blessing, 85.)

If we have a connection with God, we can have a relationship with Him. In hearing and responding to our prayers, then we are assured that God will do so on the basis of His many attributes. His personal nature, love, power, knowledge, wisdom and holiness all play a role in how we relate to God in prayer and how He relates to us.

So what is prayer? Prayer is a relationship, where we humbly communicate, worship, and sincerely seek God's face, knowing that He hears us, loves us and will respond, though not always in a manner we may expect or desire. He knows what is best for us, even before we do. Sometimes we may think we know everything… but that isn’t true. God is the only one that knows everything. He knows all things. He knows what will happen tomorrow, next week, or even a year from now! Which is why we must trust Him with the answer He gives us.

“Satan presents many temptations to the youth. He is playing the game of life for their souls, and he leaves no means untried to allure and ruin them. But God does not leave them to fight unaided against the tempter. They have an all-powerful Helper. Stronger far than their foe is He who in this world and in human nature met and conquered Satan, resisting every temptation that comes to the youth today. He is their Elder Brother. He feels for them a deep and tender interest. He keeps over them a constant watch-care, and He rejoices when they try to please Him. As they pray, He mingles with their prayers the incense of His righteousness, and offers them to God as a fragrant sacrifice. In His strength the youth can endure hardness as good soldiers of the cross. Strengthened with His might, they are enabled to reach the high ideals before them. The sacrifice made on Calvary is the pledge of their victory.”—(Messages to Young People, 95, 96.)

We as youth have a responsibility. But we cannot carry it out without God’s help. By praying to Him, we will be able to fulfill that responsibility. Trusting in Him, reading His Word, all these things will help us to fulfill it. Any trials we have, God will be there for us. As long as we put our faith and trust in Him, he will always answer our prayers and help us.

Let’s remember to pray to God always.

-Ashley Angeles