Last week we began discussing the nature and purpose of prayer. Prayer, like many of the gifts of God is both a mystery and a necessity. It contains more than we quickly see and yet it is not complex or complicated. Prayer is like a tree in that what we see is strong, tall and sometimes even impressive but it’s foundation, it’s nourishment, it’s true strength and vitality is found beneath the surface and out of our sight. Prayer is not just how we communicate with God or even how God communicates with us, prayer is how God communicates with Himself. Hebrews and Romans tell us that Jesus is always interceding to the Father for those that He has brought to the Father. Romans 8:27 tells us that the Holy Spirit, who lives within those who are in Christ is always making intercession for those in whom He dwells. God speaks to Himself; the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Godhead lives in constant communication with Himself through the medium of prayer. Prayer is not just something God has given us prayer is part of who God is and so when we pray we are not just communicating with God we are communicating like God. In fact, when we pray, since the Son and the Spirit are already and always praying, we are actually joining the divine conversation, we are pulling up our seat at the table, we are returning to one aspect of the relationship we were created to live in. Today I want us to begin seeing that because we were created in God’s image we were created for relationship, for community and for conversation and I want us to see that prayer is at the heart of all three of these things.