I watched a TV show where a child explained how to pray. “You just talk to God like a friend.” It made me think about friendships. What defines and retains those relationships? There’s a component of mutual familiarity, respect and camaraderie. You hear the term “relationship with God” often from church, and there is an element of friendship that comes from that, but there’s more to it.

There are limitations to friendships. I’m a mother and I know that my relationship with my boys does not mean that they will always think of me as their friend. Parents have the hard decision of helping our children do what is right, even if it upsets them and disrupts the friendship. It’s the encounters that result in the child screaming, “it’s not fair” or “I wish you weren’t my mother” and sometimes the child will shut down and walk away. Our life experience allows us to guide our children, even when it makes them upset. I believe that children feel safer knowing that their parents are in control.

The relationship between parents and children is easy to understand. We are tangible, our children know we are there for them. With God, his voice and direction are harder to hear the further we are from him, so it’s helpful to know how to pray – especially if we are new to Christianity or if it’s been a while. He’s talking to us. We just have to listen.

Paster Zedick gave this process for effective prayer; ACTS – Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving and Supplication. It’s more than talking to God like a friend – it’s also acknowledging who God is, and acknowledging who we are and our limitations. That clarification is important because if we acknowledge where we are weak, we know when to ask God for strength, and when we acknowledge God’s limitless power, we know his ability to deliver. We feel safe knowing God is in control. Click here to listen to the sermon.

August 29 Sermon, 2016