Can you talk to God, just you and Him, or can you just do it when you are praying?

Wow, what an awesome question!!! I love this question because most people assume that you only talk to God when you are praying. But, do you know what the Bible tells us to do? It tells us to pray without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

Huh? Are you kidding me? We’re supposed to pray 24 hours a day, 7 days a week?!?! What are we…7/11? Well, no, not really! But what that really means is we should be constantly in fellowship with God, by conversation at all times by our thoughts, attitude, and our actions.

I often pray in my car on my way to work. But, I also ask God, throughout my day, for clarification on certain issues. For example, I’ll say to Him, “Wow, a job opportunity just came up. Do you think I should walk through that door, Lord?” Or, when faced with a problem at work, I’ll often ask God, “What should I do?” Or, if I need to discipline one of my kids, I’ll ask God to, “Please help me say the right things.”

None of the above are prayers, per se. They are just me talking to God and asking for His divine wisdom and guidance. And, it’s usually just me and God having a little one-on-one. Nothing fancy or ritualistic … just a short conversation for guidance.

Now, having said that … it’s also important to actually pray to God. It doesn’t have to be fancy either. But, sometime during your day, set aside a time when you can acknowledge God for who He is and thank Him for what He has given you. This is also the time to ask God for things too! The Bible assures us that God hears all prayers.

Just remember, though, God’s answer may not always be the answer you want. Sometimes God may just say “no” to you and He has a divine reason for it. We can’t always understand why He would say no, but know that He only has our best interests at heart and that He has a plan for all of us.

When does God want us to worship Him?

There aren’t a lot of places in the Bible where God answers that question directly, but there are a couple of ways to piece the answer together. We can both consider God’s nature, and look at what some of the Bible authors say about it.

First, we’ll look at God’s nature. We are His kids. He made us so He could have a family to love who would love Him back. He loves each and every one of us SO MUCH and the Bible tells us that He even knows how many hairs are on our heads! King David writes of Him, “You have enclosed me behind and before, and laid Thy hand upon me.” Our God is mindful of us every single minute of the day. He cares about our every thought and every move. He wraps His protection all around us. So since God is our loving Father, I’m sure He wouldn’t mind if we were to worship Him ALL THE TIME!

King David, who wrote a lot of a portion of the Bible called “Psalms,” wrote this about when to worship God: “My lips will shout for joy when I sing praises to You; and my soul, which You have redeemed. My tongue also will utter Your goodness ALL DAY LONG.” Another piece of the Bible tells us to “pray without ceasing.” In another place the Bible even tells us to talk to each other ABOUT God all throughout the day.

From the standpoint of a loving Father, and the standpoint of those who have come to know and love Him, the answer to when God wants us to worship Him could easily be, “All the time.”

I can tell you that I find myself worshipping God when I look out the window at the river on my way to work. I thank Him when I see signs of spring coming. I thank Him when people do nice things for me. I praise Him when I read a piece of the Bible that strikes my heart just so. Once a person gets to know God, it’s EASY to worship Him all the time!

Why do Catholics pray to Mary and to God?

That is a great question! First, we need to understand that Catholics are Christians and believe that Jesus is the Son of God and that He died on the cross for our sins and was resurrected and lives today in Heaven with God. The difference is that they have certain practices that have become tradition based on their interpretation of certain parts of the Bible.

Let me start by asking you a question: Have you ever asked a parent or friend or even your pastor to pray for you? Or, have you ever prayed for someone asking God to help them? Well, when someone prays for you, they are interceding for you. Interceding is just a big word that means “acting on behalf of someone.”

When Catholics pray to Mary, they are asking Mary to intercede for them and to pray to Jesus for them. It’s like asking your pastor to pray for you.

Catholics are not worshipping Mary; they are simply praying to her and asking her to pray to Jesus for them. Catholics absolutely do not believe praying to Mary is a direct petition to God.

I know…it’s very confusing. But, if you look at the definition of “pray” in the Dictionary, most definitions never use the word “worship” to define prayer. In fact, Webster’s Dictionary defines the word “pray” this way:

• To utter a petition to God
• To make a fervent request or plead
• To beseech or implore
• To make a devout or earnest request for

That’s why Catholics pray to Mary…they are pleading, beseeching, imploring her to pray to Jesus for them.

How do you talk to God?

Awesome question! You talk to God through prayer. And guess what? It doesn’t have to be some fancy prayer either. All you have to do is talk to God like you would talk to your Father (because that’s what He is!). You don’t have to be ultra-religious…just talk to Him. Believe me, He loves to hear from you. He deeply cares about you and He knows every hair on your head! Isn’t that awesome?

I’ll give you a secret…but you can tell others this secret. I use a method called the T.A.A.R. method. It’s easy! Here’s what it stands for:

Thank God for everything He has done and created.
Acknowledge Him as the Creator of the Universe.
Apologize for any mistakes you made, either intentional or unintentional.
Request what you want or need. (Remember, He wants you to ask!)

Now remember, God always answers prayers. BUT, He doesn’t always answer them the way we want Him to…He answers the way He knows is best for you.

Wanna know another secret? Sometimes I don’t have anything I want or need. I just want to tell God how much I appreciate and love Him. Sometimes I ask Him, “What can I do today, God, to show my love for you?” I’m telling you He loves to hear that!

Never be afraid to pray or to talk to God. He loves you. He loves you so much He sent His one and only Son to die for you. He wants to have a personal relationship with you and when you talk to God every day He will never leave you or forsake you.

When I pray, does only God hear or does everyone in heaven hear?

Everyone who is in heaven is definitely in a joyful place with God, but God is the only one who can know our hearts. It is God alone who hears our prayers. God may share something great with everyone in heaven, like when heaven celebrates someone who has just given their heart to Jesus, but your prayers go just to God.

You can read about heaven’s happiness in Luke 15. Verse 7 comes at the end of the parable of the lost sheep, and verse 10 comes at the end of the parable of the lost coin. It says, “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents." So heaven can know about great things that happen, but when you pray to Jesus, that prayer is just for Jesus.