Talking To My Lord
1. How Often Do We Talk To The Lord?
2. Be Still And Know
3. My First Talk With The Lord
4. God Wants To Walk And Talk With Us
5. When I Have Questions
6. I Talk To The Lord In Song
7. “Tell It To Jesus”
8. Supplications
9. Prayer Is Talking To The Lord
10. Prayerful Interceding
11. Prayers Of Thanksgiving
12. Pray For Our Leaders
13. Asking The Lord To Go With Us
14. When Can We Talk To The Lord?
15. Where Can We Talk To The Lord?
1. How Often Do We Talk To The Lord?
Many times when I go to bed my mind goes into overdrive, and so many different things seem so important. I wonder why I don’t remember those things during the day. The other night I had been thinking about choosing a new topic for the devotions and I was praying, and talking to the Lord about which direction to take. I thought about how I often talk to Jesus when I’m seeking direction. I talk to Him with thanksgiving and rejoicing when He answers my prayers. I talk to the Lord when I’m lonely, or afraid, or just can’t go to sleep. I call out to God in prayer, knowing that He alone can answer, and I talk to Him as a child, looking up to Him with child-like faith. While I was thinking on these things, I realized how often I talk to the Lord. And I want to share some of the ways I talk to my Lord.
2. Be Still And Know
I believe that one of the reasons I talk to the Lord so much at night is found in Psalms 46:10. “Be still, and know that I am God: I will be exalted among the heathen, I will be exalted in the earth.” One of the reasons my mind is so busy at night is because I am so busy during the day. It takes me time to turn everything down and settle into the quietness of the night. After the noise is brought low, and the “Things To Do” list is either done or postponed for another day, I try to turn off my mind, just like I turned off my computer until tomorrow. In the quiet, I remember how God brought me through another day and I thank Him. I remember those who need help from the Lord, and I pray for them. I think of His goodness and mercy, and sometimes it brings tears to my eyes and I fall asleep rejoicing in His love. One of the best ways to talk to the Lord is getting still, and as we get still and think on Him, a whole new world opens up that this world knows nothing about.
3. My First Talk With The Lord
I was brought up in church and I was taught to pray. I learned to pray, “Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep…” at night, and “God is great, God is good, let us thank Him for our food…” before I ate. I often saw my Dad on his knees by the bed at night and I knew what it meant to pray. But, there came a time when I wasn’t reciting words I had heard and I wasn’t trying to copy my Dad. One day when I was about 8 years old my Grandpa Moyer Beasley was preaching on the rich man and Lazarus. I remember him reading Luke 16:24, “And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame.” I started crying and knew that I didn’t want to go to hell. That was the first time I really talked to Jesus. I didn’t repeat something that I had been taught to say, but I really talked to Jesus. I told Him that I was sorry for my sin and then I asked Him to save me, and He did! I believed in my heart, and my fear was gone. I knew that Jesus saved me. That was the first time I really talked with the Lord. The Lord made a change in me. When Jesus taught His disciples to pray He began, “But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.” (Matthew 6:7) We don’t have to memorize poetic prayers. Jesus wants us to trust in Him and talk to Him from our heart.
4. God Wants To Walk And Talk With Us
One of my favorite Psalms is Psalm 8. David asked, “What is man, that thou art mindful of him?”
“1 <<To the chief Musician upon Gittith, A Psalm of David.>> O LORD our Lord, how excellent is thy name in all the earth! who hast set thy glory above the heavens.
2 Out of the mouth of babes and sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies, that thou mightest still the enemy and the avenger.
3 When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou hast ordained;
4 What is man, that thou art mindful of him? and the son of man, that thou visitest him?” (Psalm 8:1-4)
It is amazing that God wants to walk and talk with us, but we see that the LORD God walked and talked with Adam and Eve before they sinned against Him. “And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.” (Genesis 3:8) We also have the example of Enoch. “And Enoch walked with God: and he was not; for God took him.” (Genesis 5:24) And Genesis 6:9 tells us that Noah walked with God. James 2:23 tells us that Abraham was called “the friend of God”. Moses talked with God face to face. “And there arose not a prophet since in Israel like unto Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face,” (Deuteronomy 34:10) And three times in the book of Daniel he is called “greatly beloved”. “At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment came forth, and I am come to shew thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore understand the matter, and consider the vision.” (Daniel 9:23) “The LORD hath appeared of old unto me, saying, Yea, I have loved thee with an everlasting love: therefore with lovingkindness have I drawn thee.” (Jeremiah 31:3) All of these examples show us that God wants to walk and talk with us. God loves me so much that He gave His only begotten Son to die in my place. It is a great joy to me to know that I can walk and talk with my Lord! And you can choose to walk and talk with Him, too!
5. When I Have Questions
I can’t talk with God face to face as Moses did. And I can’t walk and talk with Jesus along the shores of Galilee. But, we have the Holy Spirit and we can talk to God anywhere and anytime. We also have His written Word, and He can speak to us through the Bible as we read. But, what about when we have questions? For several years I kept a composition book with me as I read the Bible. I wrote down notes and verses that I wanted to remember. I also wrote down questions on things that I read. One question that I remember was about Aaron making the golden calf for the people to worship. Exodus 32:28 tells us that about 3,000 men died that day. I read that, and I wondered why Aaron didn’t die. I found the answer when I was reading later. “And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.” (Deuteronomy 9:20) Sometimes I have questions for the Lord about my life today. In the book of Judges God told Gideon to save Israel from the Midianites and Gideon put out a fleece, and asked God to show him what He wanted Gideon to do.
“36 And Gideon said unto God, If thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said,
37 Behold, I will put a fleece of wool in the floor; and if the dew be on the fleece only, and it be dry upon all the earth beside, then shall I know that thou wilt save Israel by mine hand, as thou hast said.
38 And it was so: for he rose up early on the morrow, and thrust the fleece together, and wringed the dew out of the fleece, a bowl full of water.” (Judges 6:36-38)
I don’t have sheep or a fleece, but there are times that I am really seeking God’s will about something and I pray, and ask God to show me His will. The Lord gives me peace and guidance. Jesus told His followers, “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you:” (Matthew 7:7) We also read in James 1:5, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.” It’s good to talk to the Lord when we have questions. We can also talk to our Pastor, or Sunday School teacher, or even dear Christian friends. We are human and we have questions. Our wonderful Lord understands, and the Holy Spirit gives us wisdom and guidance and helps us in our daily walk with the Lord. And He gives us this promise, “Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and shew thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not.” (Jeremiah 33:3)
6. I Talk To The Lord In Song
Some of my fondest memories took place when my children were babies. I would rock them in the stillness of the night and sing to them. “Amazing Grace” and “What A Friend We Have In Jesus” were favorite songs that I have been singing since I was a child. In the month of December I would sit with just the tree lights on and sing “Silent Night” with a little one in my arms. Those were special times of peace and joy. Sometimes when I am facing a decision and I don’t know which way to go I start singing, “Have Thine Own Way, Lord… Thou art the Potter, I am the clay. Mold me and make me after thy will, While I am waiting yielded and still.” Years ago, when I worked in an office I would often start singing on the way to work. It was a beautiful way to start the day, just me and the Lord, communion through song, and I would have to dry the tears of thankfulness before I got out of the car. I talk to the Lord through song. And He speaks back to my heart with blessings from above. One of my Dad’s favorite songs was, “In The Garden”. I always helped my Mom and Dad in the garden growing up, but it was only after I started raising my own garden that I felt the love and joy for it like my Dad did. “In The Garden” was written by C. Austin Miles in 1912.
“In The Garden”
I come to the garden alone
While the dew is still on the roses.
And the voice I hear, falling on my ear,
The Son of God discloses.
Chorus
And He walks with me, And He talks with me,
And He tells me I am His own.
And the joy we share as we tarry there,
None other, has ever known.
He speaks and the sound of His voice,
Is so sweet the birds hush their singing.
And the melody that He gave to me
Within my heart is ringing.
7. “Tell It To Jesus”
John the Baptist was prophesied of by Isaiah. “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3) Luke begins his gospel with the birth of John. He preached repentance. “In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 3:1-2) He baptized Jesus. So, when Herod had him beheaded it was a great discouragement to the disciples. What did they do? “And his disciples came, and took up the body, and buried it, and went and told Jesus.” (Matthew 14:12) They told Jesus. Many times we go through hard times and need someone to talk to, that understands. We can tell Jesus. Sometimes we are so discouraged and feel so low we want to be alone, and can’t bring ourselves to speak of it to anyone. We can talk to Jesus. We may be too embarrassed, or scared, to talk to even our dearest friend, but we can talk to Jesus. No matter what the problem, we can talk to Jesus. “Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.” (I Peter 5:7) This great old song, "Tell It To Jesus Alone", was written and first published in 1876 in a German hymnbook, by Edmund Simon Lorenz. It was translated into English by Jeremiah Eames Rankin, who is sometimes incorrectly listed as the author. No matter what you are going through, you can tell it to Jesus.
“Tell It To Jesus Alone”
1. Are you weary, are you heavy hearted?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Are you grieving over joys departed?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
Refrain
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus,
He is a Friend that’s well known.
You’ve no other such a friend or brother,
Tell it to Jesus alone.
2. Do the tears flow down your cheeks unbidden?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Have you sins that to men’s eyes are hidden?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
3. Do you fear the gathering clouds of sorrow?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
Are you anxious what shall be tomorrow?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
4. Are you troubled at the thought of dying?
Tell it to Jesus, tell it to Jesus.
For Christ’s coming kingdom are you sighing?
Tell it to Jesus alone.
8. Supplications
In I Timothy 2:1 our talking with the Lord begins with supplications. These are earnest requests or humble entreaties, when we ask the Lord for help in situations that are a desperate need. “I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;” I have often talked to the Lord in tears praying for someone who was lost. There have been other times when I cried out to God with urgent needs on behalf of myself or someone dear. And thankfully our dear Lord and Savior hears when we can’t even speak the words. “Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered.” (Romans 8:26)
16 “… The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.
17 Elias was a man subject to like passions as we are, and he prayed earnestly that it might not rain: and it rained not on the earth by the space of three years and six months.
18 And he prayed again, and the heaven gave rain, and the earth brought forth her fruit.” (James 5:16)
9. Prayer Is Talking To The Lord
When I was in Jr. High School, one of my teachers gave me a “C” in behavior. I asked her about it. I told her that I didn’t misbehave, or talk in class, and she told me that she gave me the lower grade because I didn’t talk in class. She told me that I was too quiet and that I didn’t ask questions. I was a quiet person and this actually made me angry. I didn’t want to talk out in class during discussions, or ask the teacher questions. Sometimes it is hard for us to ask for help, even when we are adults. Asking for help is admitting that we have a problem that we can’t handle. Asking for help can be intimidating. But, I have some great news. We don’t have to be afraid to ask the Lord for help! “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.” (Hebrews 4:15-16) When we sin, Jesus is willing to forgive us. When we have a need, He is able to supply. When we are going through the storms, He is always watching over us. When we turn away from God, the Lord is waiting with open arms to receive us back into sweet fellowship. Pastor Rick Byerly recently preached a great message from Mark 9, where the disciples could not cast the demon out of a man’s son. The man asked Jesus for help. The man said, “but if thou canst do anything…” Jesus turned it back around to him, “If thou canst believe…” Notice the man’s prayer in verse 24. “Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.”
“22 And ofttimes it hath cast him into the fire, and into the waters, to destroy him: but if thou canst do any thing, have compassion on us, and help us.
23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.
25 When Jesus saw that the people came running together, he rebuked the foul spirit, saying unto him, Thou dumb and deaf spirit, I charge thee, come out of him, and enter no more into him.” (Mark 9:22-25)
“Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.” The man prayed a short, simple prayer. He was honest with the Lord. The Lord knows all about us; our thoughts, our failures, our intentions… nothing is hid from the Lord. So, we don’t need to pray fancy words to try to impress the Lord. We just need to be honest with the Lord and talk to Him. “The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him, to all that call upon him in truth.” (Psalm 145:18)
10. Prayerful Interceding
Our next type of prayer in I Timothy 2:1 is “intercessions”. There are several examples in the Bible when a man or woman interceded on behalf of others, and God heard and answered. Queen Esther risked her life and went before King Ahasuerus on behalf of the Jews, and saved her nation from being destroyed. When the Lord told Abraham that He was going to destroy Sodom, Abraham pleaded with the Lord for Lot’s sake. “And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked? Peradventure there be fifty righteous within the city: wilt thou also destroy and not spare the place for the fifty righteous that are therein?” (Genesis 18:23-24) Abraham kept reducing the number as he talked to the angel of the Lord, all the way down to ten righteous people. “And it came to pass, when God destroyed the cities of the plain, that God remembered Abraham, and sent Lot out of the midst of the overthrow, when he overthrew the cities in the which Lot dwelt.” (Genesis 19:29) After God delivered the Children of Israel out of Egypt, they sinned against God, and Moses talked to the Lord and interceded for them. Following are four situations in which the Lord heard Moses and didn’t destroy the people. These examples tell us to keep on praying for others! Don’t quit praying for your lost loved ones. Keep praying for our nation. Talk to the Lord about those who are hurting. And remember that Jesus, our Lord, prayed the greatest intercessory prayer in John 17. Just before He went to the cross, He prayed for His followers, and He prayed for us! “Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word; That they all may be one; as thou, Father, art in me, and I in thee, that they also may be one in us: that the world may believe that thou hast sent me.” (John 17:20-21)
“And when the people complained, it displeased the LORD: and the LORD heard it; and his anger was kindled; and the fire of the LORD burnt among them, and consumed them that were in the uttermost parts of the camp. And the people cried unto Moses; and when Moses prayed unto the LORD, the fire was quenched.” (Numbers 11:1-2)
Moses talked to the Lord and interceded for them when they refused to enter into the Promised Land.
“11 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long will this people provoke me? and how long will it be ere they believe me, for all the signs which I have shewed among them?
12 I will smite them with the pestilence, and disinherit them, and will make of thee a greater nation and mightier than they.
13 And Moses said unto the LORD, Then the Egyptians shall hear it, (for thou broughtest up this people in thy might from among them;)
14 And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land: for they have heard that thou LORD art among this people, that thou LORD art seen face to face, and that thy cloud standeth over them, and that thou goest before them, by day time in a pillar of a cloud, and in a pillar of fire by night.
15 Now if thou shalt kill all this people as one man, then the nations which have heard the fame of thee will speak, saying,
16 Because the LORD was not able to bring this people into the land which he sware unto them, therefore he hath slain them in the wilderness.
17 And now, I beseech thee, let the power of my Lord be great, according as thou hast spoken, saying,
18 The LORD is longsuffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression, and by no means clearing the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation.
19 Pardon, I beseech thee, the iniquity of this people according unto the greatness of thy mercy, and as thou hast forgiven this people, from Egypt even until now.
20 And the LORD said, I have pardoned according to thy word:
21 But as truly as I live, all the earth shall be filled with the glory of the LORD.
22 Because all those men which have seen my glory, and my miracles, which I did in Egypt and in the wilderness, and have tempted me now these ten times, and have not hearkened to my voice;
23 Surely they shall not see the land which I sware unto their fathers, neither shall any of them that provoked me see it:” (Numbers 14:11-23)
“And the LORD sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and much people of Israel died. Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, We have sinned, for we have spoken against the LORD, and against thee; pray unto the LORD, that he take away the serpents from us. And Moses prayed for the people.” (Numbers 21:6-7)
“13 Furthermore the LORD spake unto me, saying, I have seen this people, and, behold, it is a stiffnecked people:
14 Let me alone, that I may destroy them, and blot out their name from under heaven: and I will make of thee a nation mightier and greater than they.
15 So I turned and came down from the mount, and the mount burned with fire: and the two tables of the covenant were in my two hands.
16 And I looked, and, behold, ye had sinned against the LORD your God, and had made you a molten calf: ye had turned aside quickly out of the way which the LORD had commanded you.
17 And I took the two tables, and cast them out of my two hands, and brake them before your eyes.
18 And I fell down before the LORD, as at the first, forty days and forty nights: I did neither eat bread, nor drink water, because of all your sins which ye sinned, in doing wickedly in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger.
19 For I was afraid of the anger and hot displeasure, wherewith the LORD was wroth against you to destroy you. But the LORD hearkened unto me at that time also.
20 And the LORD was very angry with Aaron to have destroyed him: and I prayed for Aaron also the same time.” (Deuteronomy 9:13-20)
“30 And it came to pass on the morrow, that Moses said unto the people, Ye have sinned a great sin: and now I will go up unto the LORD; peradventure I shall make an atonement for your sin.
31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
32 Yet now, if thou wilt forgive their sin--; and if not, blot me, I pray thee, out of thy book which thou hast written.
33 And the LORD said unto Moses, Whosoever hath sinned against me, him will I blot out of my book.” (Exodus 32:30-33)
11. Prayers Of Thanksgiving
My daughter has a “Christmas in July” celebration for her family each year. This year when her air conditioner went out I told her that she could come to our house for her party if she wanted to. We watched Christmas movies, made cookies, and Chex Mix, and had a fun day. The next day, I cooked a turkey dinner with dressing and all the side dishes we love, and we had Thanksgiving in July, too. We don’t have to wait until November to celebrate Thanksgiving. We don’t even have to have a turkey dinner to be thankful. We can, and should, be thankful every single day. God has been so good to us. He gave His only begotten Son to die and take the punishment for our sin. He has also blessed us with so much more. He supplies our needs, and watches over us, and loads us with benefits. When it came to my mind to write about “Talking To My Lord”, I was actually thinking about all the times that I say, “Thank you” during the day. When I find my glasses or something else that I misplaced, I say, “Thank you, Lord.” When I stumble and almost fall, I say, “Thank you, Lord, for keeping me from getting hurt.” When I make a wrong decision, or a wrong turn, and it still comes out okay, “Thank you, Lord.” When we sit down to eat, we always give thanks. When I’m shopping I thank the Lord for helping me find what I was looking for and for providing our needs. After working in the garden I thank the Lord for a shower and clean water. While washing dishes we can thank Him for another meal, and thank Him for our clothes as we get dressed. I thank the Lord for bringing me through cancer and chemo. We always have something to be thankful for. Jesus gave thanks as He was about to suffer and die. “And as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and blessed it, and brake it, and gave it to the disciples, and said, Take, eat; this is my body. And he took the cup, and gave thanks, and gave it to them, saying, Drink ye all of it;” (Matthew 26:26-27) Have you thanked the Lord today?
12. Pray For Our Leaders
Many people like to talk about politics. We can discuss our ideas about those who are running the government, but most of our conversations don’t change the outcome. One thing that can help our nation is to talk to the Lord about it. We need to pray for our leaders. Pray that we will be able to elect officials that know the Lord and will follow His leading. We went through the types of prayer in I Timothy 2:1. Now let’s look at a few more verses in that chapter. God also tell us to pray for Israel. “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: they shall prosper that love thee.” (Psalm 122:6)
“1 I exhort therefore, that, first of all, supplications, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men;
2 For kings, and for all that are in authority; that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty.
3 For this is good and acceptable in the sight of God our Saviour;
4 Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.
5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.” (I Timothy 2:1-6)
13. Asking The Lord To Go With Us
Another way I talk to the Lord is in asking Him to go with me. When we wake up in the morning we can pray and thank the Lord for another day, and ask Him to be with us during the new day. When we get in the car to go somewhere we can ask the Lord to go with us and guide us and protect us. I wouldn’t think of going through a medical procedure without first asking the Lord to be with me, and with the health care professionals. After the Israelites worshiped the golden calf, Moses talked to the Lord, face to face. He had to be discouraged because he had seen their sin, and the great loss of 3,000 lives. We have the privilege of reading the conversation between God and Moses in Exodus 33. It is an incredible, wonderful, thing to read. Moses told the Lord that if He wasn’t going to go with him, not to even carry them to the Promised Land. We can feel his despair as He says, “I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.” God told him, “Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock…” Have you ever been so discouraged as you looked around at the sinfulness of this old world, and you cried out to God, “Show me thy glory”? Moses went back up the mountain, and again he asked the Lord to go with them. “And Moses made haste, and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped. And he said, If now I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, let my Lord, I pray thee, go among us; for it is a stiffnecked people; and pardon our iniquity and our sin, and take us for thine inheritance.” (Exodus 34:8-9) I hope you will read this conversation between God and Moses.
“7 And Moses took the tabernacle, and pitched it without the camp, afar off from the camp, and called it the Tabernacle of the congregation. And it came to pass, that every one which sought the LORD went out unto the tabernacle of the congregation, which was without the camp.
8 And it came to pass, when Moses went out unto the tabernacle, that all the people rose up, and stood every man at his tent door, and looked after Moses, until he was gone into the tabernacle.
9 And it came to pass, as Moses entered into the tabernacle, the cloudy pillar descended, and stood at the door of the tabernacle, and the LORD talked with Moses.
10 And all the people saw the cloudy pillar stand at the tabernacle door: and all the people rose up and worshipped, every man in his tent door.
11 And the LORD spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend. And he turned again into the camp: but his servant Joshua, the son of Nun, a young man, departed not out of the tabernacle.
12 And Moses said unto the LORD, See, thou sayest unto me, Bring up this people: and thou hast not let me know whom thou wilt send with me. Yet thou hast said, I know thee by name, and thou hast also found grace in my sight.
13 Now therefore, I pray thee, if I have found grace in thy sight, shew me now thy way, that I may know thee, that I may find grace in thy sight: and consider that this nation is thy people.
14 And he said, My presence shall go with thee, and I will give thee rest.
15 And he said unto him, If thy presence go not with me, carry us not up hence.
16 For wherein shall it be known here that I and thy people have found grace in thy sight? is it not in that thou goest with us? so shall we be separated, I and thy people, from all the people that are upon the face of the earth.
17 And the LORD said unto Moses, I will do this thing also that thou hast spoken: for thou hast found grace in my sight, and I know thee by name.
18 And he said, I beseech thee, shew me thy glory.
19 And he said, I will make all my goodness pass before thee, and I will proclaim the name of the LORD before thee; and will be gracious to whom I will be gracious, and will shew mercy on whom I will shew mercy.
20 And he said, Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live.
21 And the LORD said, Behold, there is a place by me, and thou shalt stand upon a rock:
22 And it shall come to pass, while my glory passeth by, that I will put thee in a clift of the rock, and will cover thee with my hand while I pass by:
23 And I will take away mine hand, and thou shalt see my back parts: but my face shall not be seen.” (Exodus 33:7-23)
14. When Can We Talk To The Lord?
When do you talk to the Lord? When the decree was signed that men could not make a petition to anyone, Daniel prayed three times a day. “Now when Daniel knew that the writing was signed, he went into his house; and his windows being open in his chamber toward Jerusalem, he kneeled upon his knees three times a day, and prayed, and gave thanks before his God, as he did aforetime.” (Daniel 6:10) As we read this verse we see that Daniel prayed during adversity. He knew the decree had been signed by the king, but he prayed anyway. Many people pray when things are bad. They call out to the Lord when they need help and can’t find a way to fix their problem. But, we also see that the verse said, “as he did aforetime.” That means that Daniel prayed three times a day when things were going well. Don’t forget to pray, even when things are going well. David said, “Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.” (Psalm 55:17) We see that praying three times a day is a good place to start. In the New Testament, Paul tells us, “Pray without ceasing.” (I Thessalonians 5:17) We can live our lives in a prayerful attitude, and talk with the Lord continually in our heart. We can talk to the Lord when things are good, and when things are bad. We can talk to the Lord three times a day. We can talk to the Lord anytime, and all the time! When do you talk to the Lord?
15. Where Can We Talk To The Lord?
When I was in my teenage years we had one phone in the house. It was in the hallway and it was attached to the wall by a cord. Being a teenager, sometimes my phone calls were a little lengthy, so I would sit in the floor to talk on the phone. The cell phones we have to today are much more convenient. We can talk to people from most places, if there is service, and if the battery is charged. There still may be times and places that our calls can’t get through. I am so thankful that I can talk to the Lord anywhere. We can pray while we are at church. Sometimes I have knelt at the altar to talk to the Lord when I was the only one at church. But, we don’t have to be at church to talk to God. I’ve talked to the Lord in the peaceful early mornings, looking out over the ocean. I have also talked to God when my life wasn’t so peaceful, from a hospital bed. We can talk to the Lord anywhere. Jesus told His followers that they could pray in a closet. “And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward. But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.” (Matthew 6:5-6) Where did Jesus pray? He had compassion on the multitudes and prayed before 5,000 men, plus the women and children. Then He went up into the mountain alone to pray. We can pray where there is a crowd of people, and we can find a quiet place to pray alone with God. We can talk to the Lord from anywhere, and everywhere.
“19 And he commanded the multitude to sit down on the grass, and took the five loaves, and the two fishes, and looking up to heaven, he blessed, and brake, and gave the loaves to his disciples, and the disciples to the multitude.
20 And they did all eat, and were filled: and they took up of the fragments that remained twelve baskets full.
21 And they that had eaten were about five thousand men, beside women and children.
22 And straightway Jesus constrained his disciples to get into a ship, and to go before him unto the other side, while he sent the multitudes away.
23 And when he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into a mountain apart to pray: and when the evening was come, he was there alone.” (Matthew 14:19-23)
