I don’t go very long without a diet soft drink in my hand. When I feel the need for something to drink, nothing gets in my way until my thirst is quenched (Yay, DDP!).

In the same way, sometimes my soul feels so dry, and I long to drink in the soothing, soul-quenching grace of the Holy Spirit. The need becomes so strong that I drop what I’m doing and slip away to a private place—the bedroom, the bathroom, or the back porch.

When I go to my Father, I am never disappointed. He reveals to me my innermost self. He shows me the burdens that I thought I had laid at His feet, but which I later took back upon myself. He reminds me of the needs of others, that perhaps I had promised to pray for, but didn’t.

He listens as I confess what He already knew.

He restores my soul. 

One of my favorite verses is, For it is God who works in you to will and to act according to his good purpose (Phil. 2:13). This scripture is full of such excitement and promise! When I have a longing to pray, it’s not because of anything I’ve done. . .but because my Creator is moving in me.

What an awesome thought! It never ceases to amaze me that God actually takes the time to notice insignificant me and to draw me closer to Him. What’s even more amazing is that in His eyes, I’m not insignificant at all. In fact, even when the whole world may be against me, my Lord thinks I’m pretty special.

Wow, what a Savior!

 Father, thank you for the gift and the privilege of prayer. Thank you for placing within my heart a longing to know You. And thank you for satisfying the thirst of my soul.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us with groans that words cannot express. Romans 8:26

(Adapted from Time Out: A Quiet-time Devotional)