S233P2 – Filling the empty space: prayer

Pro. 15:29; 8:17

The LORD is far from the wicked, but He hears the prayer of the righteous.  [He] love[s] those who love [Him], and those who seek [Him] diligently will find [Him].

If you ever have tried to have a conversation with someone who has nothing to say, or if you have been the one without words, you understand how difficult those conversations can be.  The reason is that there is a conflict between what each person desires in that moment.  One person seeks conversation and communion.  He speaks because he wants to engage the other and have some beneficial interaction.  The other stays quiet because he does not want that closeness but wants to keep distance.  Whatever his reason, he does not want to close that gap.  One seeks companionship while the other seeks solitude.  That is why prayer can be so difficult when we feel empty inside.

Praying often can seem like we are just giving.  We talk to God, and we do not necessarily hear a response in that moment, so it might seem like a one-way street.  When we feel spiritually empty on the inside, we might find it difficult to pour out anything to God.  It might seem sensible that we have nothing to give in the moment, but that is a dangerous illusion; it is a lie.  The truth is that prayer brings us close to God.  It is not about whether we have the right words to give him.  It is about whether we are willing to approach him for intimacy.  Remember, the Spirit will guide us in prayer.  We do not need to form any words on our own.  If we allow the Spirit to fill what seems like an empty vessel, then He will cause us to pour out from the overflow.

When we are spiritually tired and feel that we have nothing to give to anyone or even God, we cannot allow those feelings to isolate us from the One who can fill us.  When we pray to him, we are opening ourselves up to be filled.  We might think that we are simply pouring out of ourselves for him, but prayer is a two-way street.  We cannot interact with God in any way without being affected.  We cannot spend even a moment in communion with him without bearing some fruit.  Prayer brings us into his presence, and we cannot leave that place empty.  Father, when we feel empty, tired and out of everything, remind us to go before You in prayer to be filled by your presence.