Prayer (1)

"Lord, teach us to pray." Lk 11:1 NKJ

Demonstrating an uncommon level of honesty, a well-known pastor says: "Prayer is the biggest struggle I have... It's difficult to maintain a consistent prayer life, and especially difficult to sustain the conviction that it does any good at times." Prayer doesn't come naturally for the majority of us.

We know it's supposed to be a dialogue, but often it feels like a monologue. There is nothing worse than trying to talk with someone who won't talk back. We don't like to admit it, but often what we are really wondering about prayer is, "How can I pray so that God will give me what I want?" One little boy was asked if he said his prayers every night. He replied, "No, some nights I don't need anything." Prayer is not about the particular words you use or the length of time you spend praying. It's about getting acquainted. It's about building a relationship.

If you have something to talk to someone about, you may say, "We need to find somewhere we can talk." You want to make sure you're heard, and that you hear what the other person has to say. When you eliminate the noise of this world, you maximize your ability to hear God. It shows God you're taking your relationship with Him seriously. The psalmist said, "He who dwells in the secret place of the Most High shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty" (Ps 91:1 NKJV). Do you have a "secret place" where you can be alone with God? It can be anywhere. But you need a place where you can go and show you mean business with God.