Two vital elements of a friendship are intimacy and integrity.

Do you wonder why I am talking about friendship when my focus is prayer?

Intimacy grows out of spending regular time together and being safe when you are vulnerable. Having shared interests, working or playing together, laughing or weeping together create healthy bonds and build memories.

A true friend accepts you just as you are – even when you’re grumpy, helping you move toward becoming your best self. Intimacy grows in the atmosphere of acceptance.

The same is true with your prayer relationship with Jesus.

The bottom line is corresponding to the time you spend with Him, you increasingly become aware of His acceptance, and you experience growing intimacy in your times with Him.

Integrity is about honesty. A true friend is a truth-teller.

A friend demonstrates loyalty by being there for you in the good times and the hard times. He or she is faithful; you can trust him because he keeps his word.

A friend is trustworthy, faithful, and true. Sounds a bit like Jesus, doesn’t it?

So what’s my point? Jesus longs for you to come apart and regularly spend time with Him.

When I first gave my life to the Lord, I learned I needed to meet with Him daily. At first, it was easy, but then life happened, and I didn’t feel worthy. As the days slipped by, many things conspired to keep me from meeting with Jesus. Then one night, desperate to know who God really was, I covenanted with Him to read the Bible every day.

Keeping that promise has opened doors to relational intimacy with the Lord. Many days I messed up, and many days I struggled to survive, while other days went great.

The exciting news is through the good and the bad, Jesus walks with me, showing me mercy and kindness. He never condemns or shames me when I fail.

I also learned prayer goes hand in hand with my time spent studying the Word. The more I am in God’s Word, the easier it is to pray.

For years, as I listened to others pray, I felt small. In comparison, my prayers felt worthless. That made me feel worthless. I didn’t know how to make beautiful-sounding prayers like some people. Listening to them, I became anxious, then ashamed, knowing I wouldn’t get it right. So I remained silent.

Do you know what helped me pray even when I was frightened?

I learned Satan knows even the tiniest prayer of faith is a mighty weapon in our hands. Prayer causes us to become more like Jesus and moves God to intercede on our behalf. The demonic hates when we pray and does everything possible to silence us.

Many people want to pray, but hesitate. Not because they don’t care; they do. But, thinking they need special words that sound lovely and spiritual, they withdraw into silence, feeling what they have to say is unimportant.

It is not!

Here’s the secret. If you struggle to pray, know the enemy of your soul is holding you captive to a lie that you aren’t good enough.

Perhaps you worry, thinking you don’t know the right words to say. Jesus isn’t bothered if you get the words right or not. He delights in you. He loves hearing your voice.

Think of the friend who is happy to hear your voice. Jesus is like that. The good news is He accepts you, even if you’re grumpy. All you need to do is speak with him in the same way you talk to a close friend.

There is one condition. If Jesus is your Saviour, He waits in the garden of your heart for you. You must retire daily to the secret place to meet Him. There you can practice talking to Him.

Fact: Jesus is the Friend of sinners. He does not judge you for getting it wrong. He is the Friend who loves at all times, the Brother born for adversity (Pro 1717).

The LORD Jesus is Faithful and True (Rev 19:11).

In His presence, you are safe. He welcomes you to come and hide beneath the overshadowing love of the Heavenly Father, where you may learn of Him and become who God created you to be.

Prayer is talking with your Friend!

Be yourself.

Share your churning thoughts; share what is on your heart. If you need to cry, go ahead and weep in His presence. If you are laughing – share your joy with Jesus. If you are confused, tell Him.

As you do, the Holy Spirit will bring clarity and order into whatever situation confronts you.

On top of that, prayer is communication with One who loves you. In His presence, there is no shame, no condemnation. Jesus delights in you coming to Him.

• Begin your day in the Lord’s presence.

• Thank the Heavenly Father for His watchful care.

• Invite Jesus to be LORD and ask the Holy Spirit to expose the hidden works of darkness and help you as you pray.

• Then talk to Jesus. Tell Him about whatever is on your heart. And listen as He speaks – through His Word and through His Spirit to your spirit.

“Walking with God down the avenues of prayer we acquire something of His likeness, and unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and His grace.” E. M. Bounds