Father, You are good. Again, this morning, I am reminded of Your goodness through Your Word that is filled with Your invitations and encouragement to pray. You, the Most High God – Creator and Sustainer of Life, have invited me to pray. What an amazing privilege it is to be Your child, to be invited into Your presence – not just to hear from You but to converse with you – and not only at certain times but continually (Col. 4:2). The invitation comes with the promise that you will hear and answer according to Your perfect will – because You CARE (1 Peter 5:7), because You KNOW our need (Matthew 6:8), because – YOU. ARE. ABLE! (Ephesians 3:20), and because You are loving and kind, full of mercy and grace and compassion of Hope and strength and joy and peace that will guard our hearts and minds as we live in Christ Jesus! (Phil 4:6-7).

I am blessed by Your goodness and the privilege of prayer! You know the desires of my heart Father, but let this not deter me from asking, seeking, and knocking, from telling You my needs or anxious thoughts and cares. And when I ask, let me not doubt but believe – and expect – not my will but Yours to be done. For I know that You are able to do immeasurably more than I ask or even imagine. And may I never forget that this privilege is mine only through the blood and righteousness of Jesus Christ and my faith in Him.

What a Friend we have in Jesus
All our sins and griefs to bear
what a privilege to carry
everything to God in prayer

O what peace we often forfeit
O what needless pain we bear
All because we do not carry
everything to God in prayer.
Bing Crosby