How good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity. It is like the oil that flowed down Aaron's beard and the collar of his robes (Psalm 133:1, my paraphrase). Consider what is means for unity to be like oil. This refers to the anointing of Aaron, Moses' brother, who was appointed as High Priest. Unity is likened to the fresh oil of the Holy Spirit that anoints the priesthood for service. We have all experienced both unity and discord. We have lived in peace - not necessarily seeing eye-to-eye, but creating harmony with our differences. But we have also felt the frustration of broken relationships and walking on eggshells to avoid more conflict. Please understand that peace does not mean ignoring sin and hateful attitudes. It does not mean ignoring your feelings and sweeping everything under the rug. Conflict is normal, and can be healthy. If done correctly, it can lead to repentance and harmony.

Have you ever thought of prayer as something to check off your list in order to be a good Christian? Or viewed it as too much pressure to say the right things in the right ways? Maybe you’ve had trouble believing in its power because you’ve been disappointed too many times. If you’ve ever felt any of these things, you’re not alone.

But that’s not how God intended us to view prayer. He created it as a way for Him to know us and for us to know Him. The purpose of prayer isn’t to look like we have it all together when we say, “I’ll pray for you.” And it’s not to be used as a business transaction or Amazon wish list. The purpose of prayer is to grow closer in relationship with God.

God wants us to see Him as the friend who is always ready and excited to listen. He’ll never tell you that you’re sharing too much. He’ll never be distracted or too tired to give you His full attention. And even when it’s been a long time between conversations, He’s always ready to pick back up where you left off without any hard feelings.

Think about when you were little and your parents asked how your day was. They didn’t just want to hear it was fine. They wanted to know what excited you, what troubled you, and what you thought about it all. Even more so, God wants to hear it all.

Jesus died for us to be able to talk to God like a friend. In the Old Testament, God’s people had to offer purifying sacrifices to be in His holy presence, but now we can talk to God one-on-one without all the pomp and circumstance. We should talk to Him with reverence and respect, but it’s ok to talk casually, like you would with a best friend. So, next time something happens that makes you feel sad, angry, overwhelmed, excited, or passionate, before you call a friend, pause and tell God first.

Practice- Set a timer for five minutes and share something about your day with God. It can be something good or bad. It can be in the middle of your day, on your drive home, or right before bed. You can think it, speak it, or write it down. Just make time to share something real with Him.