God Is Available to You 24/7

If you are a recent high-school graduate (or the parent of one) this week’s devotions are particularly for you. God, bless you in this new phase of life!

God Is Available to You 24/7

We hear the sounds of cell phones ringing every day, don’t we? Everyone seems to have a cell, and there are very few places where you can’t receive a signal. In many ways prayer is like a cell phone. You can pray anytime you want, anywhere you want, for as long as you want. But unlike a cell, prayer has no fees. You also never have to scroll through a directory to find God’s number. You have a direct line to the God of the universe 24/7—24 hours a day, 7 days a week. How’s that for technology? Divine tech­nology, that is!

Prayer is a spiritual activity, and it takes a heart decision and requires effort. So if you’re not praying—or not praying very much—run through this checklist:

Check your desire. Prayer will never become a wonderful habit or spiritual discipline if the main ingredient—desire—is missing. The verses below should help strengthen your desire. But, if there there’s something that’s quenching your desire or causing a barrier between you and God bow your heart and admit it to God. Ask Him to help you do whatever it takes to deal with the obstacles that stand between you and a loving, open relationship with Him.

“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know,” [says the Lord] (Jeremiah 33:3).

“Let us then approach the throne of grace with con­fidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need” (Hebrews 4:16).

“If we confess our sins, [God] is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness”(1 John 1:9).

“If any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God… and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

“Is any one of you in trouble? He should pray” (James 5:13).

Check your lifestyle. What… or who… is influencing you? Are you being influenced positively for the things of God? If not, it’s out! Nothing and no one is important enough to endanger your relationship with God and your willingness to talk to Him in prayer.

Check your schedule.Every action takes planning. And oftentimes our prayer time gets pushed to the end of our priority list. Or, it turns into nap-time! Sleep experts report that 85 percent of teens are chronically sleep-deprived. So, check your schedule and create a realistic “to do” list for the each day. Set out your Bible and prayer notebook in a place where you will have your quiet time the next day. And then go to bed—early—so you will be best prepared for your day and with your time with your heavenly Father.

There’s certainly a lot going on in the life of any young person. So, remember, something is better than nothing. Any prayer is better than no prayer. Some prayer is better than none. Start with a choice to pray a few minutes each morning. Graduate little by little to more time spent in prayer, and you will be on the path to making right choices in your life.

Give a copy to a graduate in your life of A Young Woman Who Reflects the Heart of Jesus or A Young Man After God’s Own Heart to help them choose for themselves a life of faith and maturity. Younger students will enjoy A Young Woman’s Guide to Making Right Choices and A Young Man’s Guide to Making Right Choices.

Read God Is Available to You 24/7 on Elizabeth & Jim George.