Dr. Charles Stanley
Read | Luke 11:1-4
The value of prayer was something Gideon knew well. He had a lengthy discussion with the Angel of the Lord about who He was and what God was doing. He also had conversations with God, trying to resolve his doubts. Then, as the battle was drawing close, more communication took place while God gave him instructions. Through prayer, he experienced intimacy with the Lord, answers to his questions, and direction for his life.
Just as He did for Gideon, God invites us to talk over our worries with Him. He longs to replace our anxious burdens with His peace, which surpasses all comprehension. We have several advantages over Gideon when we pray. First, we have the Bible—God’s instruction book for living—which is full of information about who the Lord is and what He is doing. The more we believe His Word and understand His plans, the more confidently we will talk to Him. Second, we have the presence of the Holy Spirit to guide us into the truth of God’s Word and interpret it for us. As we discover how relevant the Scriptures are to our situation, we will learn to pray from God’s perspective. Our prayers will be more about what He wills than what we want. And third, Jesus, our risen Savior, is interceding for us, and the Holy Spirit is praying on our behalf when words fail us. We do not pray alone.
Through our communion with God, we can experience His presence as Gideon did. It is here that our spiritual needs are met and we are freed from anxiety so we can live a life of trust.
