Before You BeginPrayer.
At its essence, prayer is a conversation.
A give-and-take.
A listening and leaning in.
It’s a conversation about anything and everything. About little things and monumental things and all the endless things in between. Prayer is taking everything to God and learning to have a conversation without end.
One verse that is written on my heart and mind and that never ceases to fill me with wonder is Hebrews 4:16:
“Let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive his mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Do you see that? The open invitation? The God of all creation is inviting me—you, each of us—to step into the throne room of His presence. We don’t have to creep in or slip in, hoping not to be noticed or worrying we might take up too much space. No, God invites us to walk in boldly as His beloved children, as co-heirs to His kingdom, as if we belong. Because He has, in fact, made a way for us to belong there with Him.
And so we are welcomed into His presence. To have a conversation with Him. Or to simply be still with Him. Because prayer isn’t a transaction; it isn’t about the asking or the getting.
Instead, prayer is an opportunity to abide—to live and move and have our being—in the very presence of God.
Does that sound a bit daunting or even intimidating? It doesn’t need to be. There’s no need for worry or fear in prayer. You don’t have to work at the words or say them all just right.
Prayer simply—and wonderfully and divinely—connects the branches of our lives to the Vine, where we are nourished and nurtured and encouraged to grow into all He created us to be.
In these pages, you’ll find a collection of prayers. They aren’t fancy or formal. They’re echoes of my own conversations with God. Raw and honest and real. They often begin with questions and confusion, then end in trust as I talk things through with Him.
I hope they touch your heart and inspire conversations of your own.
Turn to the prayer you need, open to one at random, or read them straight through from beginning to end. It doesn’t really matter. What matters is that you step into the throne room. God is waiting there for you. And He’d love to talk with you for a while.
With love and prayers for you,
Tama
Copyright © 2025 by Tama Fortner. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.