Cold Call

Spam calls, cold call salesman, all trying to get me to do or buy something. The calls are so annoying and typically we don't answer at all or quickly cut them off. Why? I don't know you, I don't want to talk to you, and I have no reason to give you my time. We have no relationship and you just want something so I cut you off.

Is this how you approach God in prayer? Only reaching out to ask for something for Him to do for us or give to us? No relationship, no respect, just a cold call. Too often we only pray when we need or want something from God; which is interesting considering the English word “pray” means to “ask or beg”. So we use prayer as a phone call to God to ask Him for things we want.

However, did you know that the Hebrew word for prayer used in the Bible is “tefillah”, which means to “judge oneself”. So to the Jews of the Bible, prayer was not a time when they simply asked God for things. Prayer was to spend time talking to God and to examine themselves and their relationship with God. The Jews in biblical times used prayer as a way to evaluate their life and attitude, and to develop their relationship with God.

Relationship is what God wants. To spend time with us, teach us, guide us. Then when we come boldly into the throne room asking and seeking God it is not a cold call, but a call to a father and a friend.