Prayer is something that I struggle with. God has really been working with me on this one, and we are making progress. He has layed a few things on my heart about prayer and why it is important in our lives, and for our relationship with Him.
Where did that idea come from anyways, prayer at bedtime? It never really worked out well for me. Here’s the problem: I’m one of those people that would go about my little daily life without much thought of praying and talking to God until bedtime. Here is where I ran into a problem. Once I got finished with my day and rolled into bed I was tired. Sooo my prayers were kinda short and sweet and pretty much a rehearsed dialogue. Aka: empty words. That is IF I actually made it all through my prayer before knodding off. I’m pretty sure you know exactly what I’m talking about.
There also those times when I had a friend/family member that would tell me they had a prayer request (through any form of communication) and I of course would be the good little Christian and tell them “I got you”, “you’re in my prayers”, ” praying”, or any other response that is similair. Then normally a little while later they are talking to you again and they say “thank you soo much for your prayers!” or “our prayers were heard!”, and all of the sudden in my head I go “Ooops.”and feel really really stupid because I didn’t pray for them. I forgot. Then I have to think “Well, it’s a good thing that you were listening to their prayers God because you know you didn’t hear from me…” Ever did something like that? Yeah.
I’m also guilty of having said prayers that I didn’t actually believe. I bet that really ticks God off. That He has told us over and over again that He hears our prayers and that He can and will do great things because of our prayers and then we don’t even believe Him. I also bet He gets frustrated when He actually does answer my prayers. Like with my fundraising and other things in my life and some how I still manage to say empty words in my prayers. Nothing behind them, no faith in His answer. I think that I’m more afraid He will answer in a way that I don’t want Him to…okay not think, I know I’m afraid of that. Keeping up with me so far? Good.
Now here is what God has been telling me about prayer.
Prayer is not just a story I tell Him at bedtime. More than just retelling my life to Him who made it all happen in the first place. It is having a conversation with Him where we talk out our problems (or well my problems if we are being honest). Tell Him about how He made me happy that day. To tell Him when I am sad or angry. And yeah, I can even tell Him I am angry at Him…He already knows anyways. I just have to say it out loud and begin to work it out and move on.
See the main thing I get from prayer? Talking. Communication. Growing in my relationship with God.
This concludes part uno of this blog series. Stay tuned for part dos coming to emails near you soon! In my next blog I will be expanding on the last little part I talked about with communication and a relationship with God. It’s good and you don’t want to miss it, honest!
Until then Tenga por favor paciencia
P.S. Don’t you just love that I’m practicing my spanish with you 😉
