I’ve learned to thank God for air conditioning after living my entire life in Louisiana. I’ve especially recognized how much of a blessing it is after it went out in the car a few weeks ago.

Thankfully, the weather hasn’t been stifling, so I just rolled down the windows and carried on. That wasn’t that big of a deal. But after a few days of rain and cloud coverage, the sun came back out and began to heat things up. I remember walking to the car that bright morning, feeling the warmth, and knowing that just rolling down the windows wasn’t going to help as much as it had been helping. So I prayed a simple prayer asking God to let the AC work that day. I got in the car and started it up, checking a few things on the phone before pulling out of the parking space. And, as I sat there, I began to feel cool air. The fan that I thought had permanently clocked out was spinning again, and it was quickly filling the car with cold air. A few days have passed since that morning, and I haven’t had any problems with the AC since.

James makes an interesting statement about prayer when he writes,

You do not have, because you do not ask. You ask and do not receive, because you ask wrongly, to spend it on your passions.
James 4:2b-3

I’ve been challenged lately to really learn to pray. I confess that I often feel like I’m just spitting words into the wind. But when I read charges like this, or like James’ later point that Elijah was a man with a nature like ours and that we can pray as he did (James 5:16-18), or when I read of the purposeful and expectant prayer of Daniel in Daniel 2, I realize that I’m missing something. I was talking with a friend once who said that he used to think of prayer like it was simply leaving voicemails on God’s phone, hoping he’d call back but never really expecting any reply. It hit me that I largely think about prayer in the same way, but I know there’s got to be more to it than that.

So I prayed that God would grow my faith in prayer. I want to truly know him like Paul talks about in Philippians 3. I want to talk with him, not just at him. I want to walk with the Lord. I want to learn to pray boldly.

I have much to learn. I honestly feel like I know nothing, like I’m just beginning to really seek the Lord, to get to know him through prayer. But I know he hears me. I know he answers prayer. I know that he is a good Father. And I know that through Jesus, I can boldly approach my Father.

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin. Let us then with confidence draw near to the throne of grace, that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16