“Call to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable things you do not know.”  Jeremiah33:3

When the burdens of life become too heavy we can go to God in prayer anytime night or day and know that He hears us.  Prayer is having a conversation with God.  It involves both speaking and listening to God.  What a blessing it is that we can speak with Almighty God any time we have a need.  God doesn’t keep office hours and leave for long vacations or weekends.  He doesn’t even have a secretary that listens to our requests and decides whether it is important enough to have Him call us back later.  God never closes the gate and locks us outside of His love and concern.  God is available and desires for us to come to Him so that He can guide us to discover His best for us.

Have you ever felt rejected by someone or a group of people you thought were your friends?  Sometimes we are rejected because of race or religion.  Sometimes our values and priorities make others uncomfortable and they’d rather not have us around them.   Sometimes we aren’t really rejected but others are just too busy to spend time with us.Frequently we build walls around our own hearts – walls of bitterness, anger, fear and grief.  We lock the gate of our heart and refuse to let God in or even our friends and family.  We are held captive by our emotions.  Once we lock the gate to our heart, it is almost as though a roaring lion stands guard at the entrance, daring anyone who loves us to come near.

“Be self-controlled and alert.  Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour.”            I Peter 5:8    But God promises to rescue us if we will only turn to Him.  We need not be held captive by unhealthy fears and emotions.   Prayer is the key that can unlock the gate.  It is God’s greatest gift to man.  It enables us to fellowship with Him and find hope and guidance for our lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you.”                       Jeremiah 29:11,12

God desires that we unlock the gate to our heart so that He can come in and renew a right spirit within us.  It may not seem easy to open the gate.  The hinges may be rusty and the lock frozen shut.  But oh, it is so worthwhile!  When you let Jesus come into your heart, you will feel a great rush of love come pouring in and you will discover a peace that is above and beyond all that you could hope for or imagine.

“May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.”     Romans15:13