Dream to Pray

The Bible talks about praying in such a way to be honest with God instead of making a show for others to benefit our own reputation.

I had a dream last night... the first one in a long time that I actually remembered after I woke up. My dream was like this:

I was at a banquet or feast of some kind. There were people of all ages old to young. It seemed that the older people were divided from the younger group. I could tell a distinct culture difference between the two groups from their clothing styles to their behavior. I was seated next to one younger person and there were two of the older people around us. Though the whole group was present, I could only hear the three other people around me.

Once it was time to pray for the food, everyone became quiet. Me and the younger person next to me were silent as we prayed while the older couple started to pray extravagantly. They used large words and loud voices with exaggerated tones. Their prayer was drawn out and made as if to have a theatrical drama to it.

In the middle of their prayer, they both stopped as they noticed that the younger person and I were not praying. With sad faces, they bowed their heads and said that it was a lost cause and proceeded to walk off. I knew what they had meant by what they said. The young group who had seemingly not prayed at all, who did not cry out to the Lord, who had not asked for forgiveness, who had not prayed for their neighbor, they were lost, it was a lost hope that they could ever be saved.

Before the older couple was out of ear-shot, I explained... When I pray in earnest, I will cry out to the Lord, but my shouts will be as whispers. I will pray in my fashion for my God hears all prayers. He knows my needs before I take them to him. He knows my needs before I know them. My God loves me and knows my heart. He knows if I am right or wrong in my actions. He hears me when there is nothing to be heard.

Though we may be different, different in culture, in age, we all worship in our own fashion. We all pray differently, we all cry out to the Lord in different ways. No one way to pray is correct over another because God hears all of us, even unbelievers who cry out to him.

I thought about the dream and all that it may mean. I know even with my walk with God I find that there are those who believe that if you do not do things such as pray or worship in a certain way, that you are lost, or, if you look differently or behave differently you are lost. Though we have our differences, we all need to realize that He loves and cares for all of us equally.

I have seen others that will make a show of their worship or faith in God. Some teach their beliefs but do not follow them, and some even who do believe dramatize their faith to make themselves look more favorable. While we need to share God's love with the world around us, we need to do so unselfishly. This is a struggle for me sometimes in service. I often find myself thinking of what I could get out of this, how this will help me. I have to remind myself that the service I do, I do for God and not myself.

Know that God loves you and cares for you. Even if you do not yet know his love, he hears your cries. He knows your heart and knows your actions. He knows your service and your selfishness. At the same time he knows that you are not perfect and through His grace, He has given you salvation.