Doesn't He Already Know?

I was having a discussion about prayer with a new friend recently. They are finding their prayer time to be very challenging and are having troubles knowing what to say. After talking for a bit, I discovered that their struggle comes from feeling silly for telling God things He already knows. "Doesn't He already know what I am going to say? Why should I have a conversation when I have nothing new to say?"

Hmmm. I had to think about that for a moment. I told them that prayer was important for our faith development and that it will get easier the more you do it. True statements, but they really didn't satisfy me. Why do I tell God stuff? Doesn't He already know? I continued to think about these questions for some time.

Then, it hit me. We were sitting at the table for dinner and sharing the details of our day with the other members of our family. It is so nice to share this time together, when we encourage and support one another through different steps of our day. As I was listening to each person's turn and asking questions so we would have more details, I realized that I already knew each thing that was being said. I was enjoying the conversation and loving the time we were spending together even though they were not sharing any new information with me.

I realized that I don't ask my children what happened in their day because I don't know, I ask them what has happened because I want to help them grow and I want to spend time with them. It is the same with God. He knows exactly what has happened in your day, but He is interested in your growth and spending time with you. He is filled with joy when you set aside time and put Him first in your life.

Let me encourage you to spend time talking with God like you would want your children to talk with you. I would also like to encourage you to spend time talking as a family each night if you don't already. These are precious moments that go by so quickly, please take the time to cherish each and everyday....I know that God cherishes each and every time you stop to talk to Him, even though He already knows!