I woke up at 4 am and began to pray, laying in bed. We can pray anywhere, anytime. This particular day God whispered very quietly to me to get on my knees.

I waited a few minutes.

On my knees I started my prayer with praise. Then I asked Him to teach me how to pray. He put this thought into my mind, “You will have a lesser quality prayer this morning because you did not obey quickly”.

I was grateful for the loving correction. It was for my benefit.

What is the cost of obedience? Consider discomfort and the effort of trust.

DISCOMFORT

We tend to naturally avoid discomfort, physically and mentally. Getting out of a cozy bed, especially when still tired, requires experiencing a little discomfort.

We have handled discomfort before. We can handle it again, with His help.

He said He wouldn’t give us more than we can handle. He also advised us not to run faster than we are able. He doesn’t usually require us to push ourselves until we collapse. Also, our perception can make the difference between experiencing sweet suffering or bitter suffering.

Another cost of obedience is the mental effort it takes to deepen our trust.

TRUST

It’s worth taking time to increase our level of trust in God.

How?

Think of a toddler learning to walk. He keeps his eye on the happy parent across the room. That’s it!

How complicated is it to keep our eyes on our happy, loving, capable Heavenly Parent?

When we keep our eyes on Him, we see His character, which is love.

God is love.

How does a child look at a loving parent? Watch a 1 year old watching his parent. Just observe. What does his face and posture look like?

What if we become as a little child? Would obedience come more easily, more naturally?

The more fully we observe God, the more we will see His loving, capable character. The more accurately we perceive Him, the more fully we will trust Him. The more fully we trust Him, the more fully we will trust ourselves. Life then becomes more enjoyable!