Random Thoughts on Prayer

What comes to mind when you hear the word ‘prayer’? At its most basic, prayer is simply talking to God. He is also described as a father so you can also think of it as talking to your dad. Think back to when you were a child and how you spoke to your dad. It’s casual and informal but respectful. Know that you can pray to God anywhere and about anything. There is no such thing as telling God something he doesn’t know. He’s not sitting there going, “Hold up, hold up. You did what with that girl you met at the bar last week?” There is no prayer request that is too big or too small. Nothing is too trivial for him. Whether you’re praying about a major life decision or healing from physical illness, you can lift all of it up to him. You might say, “But I don’t know how to pray!” That’s perfectly fine because there isn’t necessarily a right or wrong way to pray. Just be respectful. God doesn’t hear you better if you spout out lengthy, elaborate prayers and use fancy words like hallelujah. Let’s be realistic here. Don’t try to impress Him. He’s the creator of the universe, not your boss at work. What matters is your heart behind the prayer. It’s not about putting on a show and saying the longest and most eloquent prayer. This isn’t the State of the Union address. It’s talking to your dad. Want to hear a genuine prayer? Listen to a kid say grace before a meal. It’s straight from the heart. Trust that God hears your prayers and he answers every time. Everytime? Yes, you read that correctly. We don’t like to hear this but ‘no’ and ‘wait’ are answers too. God wants to bless us but sometimes he might not give us what we’re asking for because maybe we’re asking for things that aren’t even good for us in the first place. We always think we know what’s best for us but how often have we desired something only to later realize that it was better to not even have it? (Like that full back dragon tattoo that seemed like such a good idea in college. Aren’t you glad you don’t have to explain that to the in laws?) Other times we might not get a response right away and we don’t know why. We can’t see the full picture but we can take hope and trust in God’s perfect timing.