VOICE OF TRUTH FOR TODAY
How shall we pray?
The disciples once asked Jesus that very question (Luke 11:1). And after years of walking through addiction recovery and ministry, I can tell you — it’s still one of the most common questions I hear.
“How do I pray?”
“How do I recognize the voice of God?”
There was a time when prayer felt foreign to me. After decades of living far from God’s will, surrender did not come naturally. When I first committed my life to Christ in recovery, I didn’t feel confident or eloquent. I would sit in my bedroom closet and whisper, “God, can you hear me? It’s Melissa. I don’t know what I’m doing, but I’m trying.”
It felt awkward — like a newborn fawn trying to stand.
But I kept showing up.
What I discovered is that prayer is not about performance. It is about relationship. It is how we realign our will with God’s will. It is how we return control to the One who had a plan for us all along: “For I know the plans I have for you… plans to give you hope and a future” (Jeremiah 29:11, NIV).
Jesus gave us a model in Matthew 6:9–13 — the Lord’s Prayer. In it, we honor God, invite His kingdom, surrender to His will, acknowledge our daily needs, confess our sins, extend forgiveness, and ask for protection.
Prayer arms us.
Prayer steadies us.
Prayer reconnects us.
It doesn’t have to be polished. It doesn’t have to sound spiritual. It simply has to be sincere.
Call out to Him. Whisper if you must.
With consistency, you will begin to recognize His voice — and His presence will become unmistakable.
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Excerpt from Voice of Truth Magazine
“Gospel Grace” by Melissa Gissy Witherspoon