“ . . . your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.’

if God already knows what we need, what’s the point in asking Him? He knows when the mortgage is due. He knows that the car needs new brakes. He knows what the last visit to the doctor cost. He knows when the bills have to be paid. He knows we need a job. So why bother asking?

God does know what we need and, above all, we need a relationship with Him. If the only time He hears from us is when we need something, He’ll wait patiently for our call.

Experts say that ninety-percent of communication is non-verbal - - our actions speak louder than words. So, when we communicate with God about our needs, He is going to watch how we go about solving our problems. We can’t simply mouth the words. We have to show Him what we’re doing to solve our problems.

It’s been said that the question of a wise person contains half the answer. So we may have to question ourselves before we put the correct question to God. We have to re-examine our assumptions, consider all the possibilities, weigh all the outcomes and distinguish between our needs and wants. Then we have to phrase our prayer request as an open-ended question that is the beginning of a dialog with God.

In teaching us to pray, Jesus said we are to pray for our “daily” bread. That is, we are to take one day at a time, one problem at a time.  He also said, “My grace is sufficient for thee: for my strength is made perfect in weakness.”

When our problems seem insurmountable, we can them over to the Lord at the start of each day. He wants to hear from us daily.

But in every good relationship, there is some give and take. So in bringing our needs to God in prayer, we have to also ask Him what He needs from us. In what ways can we make His kingdom come, His will be done on earth as it is in Heaven.

Sometimes, the thing we need most is quiet time with the Lord.