Prayer… Being Imprinted by God
There are billions of them. They differ in thousands of ways: big ones, tiny ones; some which prefer water, others air. Almost all can fly, yet many cannot. Most are brightly colored, some very drab. Many migrate, others stay at home. What are these creatures which can be found everywhere in the world? You guessed it … BIRDS.
While scientists place these birds in thousands of different categories, all of them can be divided into just two groups: birds which hatch and stay in the nest until they can fly away; and those which hatch and then leave the nest immediately. But before they leave, they do something very important for their survival. It is called imprinting.
For several days, the baby birds snuggle up against their mother. There is a big world out there which is quite dangerous. They must be able to stay close to Mom and when they get separated, they must be able to know her call and she theirs. Without this time of imprinting, not many of them would reach adulthood.
Prayer is much the same, isn’t it? Prayer is that time of snuggling up close to our Heavenly Parent, the one Jesus called Father. It is a time when we are imprinted with His thoughts, His ways and His will. This must be done daily, especially before we venture out into the world. The world is often noisy and confusing. It is then we need to be able to hear the clear, sure voice of God; telling us which way to go, what we are to do, and giving us the strength to do it.
Pray each day. Be imprinted with God. Don’t leave the nest without it.
