Keys to the Kingdom

 

Brylcreem pomade hit the shelves in 1928 and has since become an iconic hair cream. Most TV commercials are forgettable, but the one for Brylcreem is not. I remember the jingle more than the instructions on how to use it. At the age of five, I wasn’t really interested in having gorgeous hair that attracted a lot of girlfriends. However, it seemed to work for my one-and-only older brother. The lasting impression I got was that it didn’t take much of the product to style your hair — just a little dab is all ya needed.

 

There may be seasons in your life when just a little dab of prayer is all you can squeeze out. Sometimes your heart can be like a bottle of ketchup. You open it, turn it upside down and pound on it but nothing comes out. When your heart is heavy, don’t despair because a sincere one-sentence prayer will get the attention of your heavenly Father. You can say,  “I love You.” Or “Please help me.” Or “I trust You.”

 

I’m not against lengthy prayers, that’s not the point. We simply need to understand that prayer is a comfortable privilege. Being part of a loving family has privileges such as eating whatever you find in the refrigerator or cabinet. When God’s children face a problem, they have the privilege of immediately giving it to God in prayer. He’s volunteered for the job and you can trust Him to do it right. “Give all your worries and cares to God, for He cares about you” (1 Peter 5:7 NLT).

 

Believers are to pray to our heavenly Father in Jesus’ name. Jesus said, “…Most assuredly, I say to you, whatever you ask the Father in My name He will give you“ (John 16:23 NKJV).  Jesus is our intercessor, lawyer, and friend. He sorts our words and thoughts, makes them perfect, and then sends them on to the Father. By the time they get to Him, they’re fixed up right because Jesus knows how to do His job.

 

Believers don’t have to use eloquent words to touch the heart of God. Jesus is your closest friend and the Holy Spirit is your personal helper and these two already know what’s on your mind and in your heart. A best friend can finish your sentences and so can Jesus. We’re assured of this in Psalm 139: 4 NKJV: “For there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O Lord, You know it altogether.“ 

 

Prayer is like breathing. You can pray whenever and wherever you are because it‘s a conversation — it‘s not a ritual. Lots of people put their phone on speaker while talking and continue folding the laundry or peeling potatoes. You don’t have to be on your knees to pray — you can if you want to, but you can also pray and slop the hogs at the same time. When a troubling situation comes to your mind, pray about it immediately and refuse to worry.   

 

Prayer is powerful and when we humbly communicate with God, we access grace for the moment and strength for each day. Jesus’ prayer from the cross was not lengthy: “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing” (Luke 23:34 NLT).

The Key:  A little dab of believing prayer will do a lot of damage to your worries and cares.