I have never been that into praying. I prayed, just never set a time for it in my day. There is numerous reason why I felt like praying was useless. One being, I never thought anything ever came of my prayers.
My mom used to get upset at my brothers and me when we were children because when we would need something, we would wait for the last minute to tell her. I guess we just always assumed that she always knew what we needed. She would always tell us, “I’m not a mind reader.”
God is a mind reader though. However, He still wants us to talk to him and tell him our needs and problems. I would always pray when I need something or I am having a rough time with life. I am sure that sucks for Him.
As you get older, you start to have certain friends that you know that, when they call, they need something. Yea, sure, they start the conversation off by shooting the breeze and asking you how you are doing, but you know there is an ulterior motive for the phone call. When you get those phone calls, do you put them on top your priority list? Nope, you pretty much place it to the side and you get to them when you can. It is your close friends that precedent on your attention.
Why would we treat God the same way and expect anything different from Him? Luckily God doesn’t treat us the way we should be treated or treat those “friends” that call us for favors. No, he listens, each and every little time we talk. However, even in James 5.16, James says that the “effectual prayer of a righteous man availeth much."
I grew up in a church that was known for the loud shouting and praying. It really made hard for me to focus on what I wanted to say. It also made me feel less of a Christian because I didn’t have these elaborate prayers that these other Christians did.
I didn’t cry, but I did just start repeating the same thing over and over again like others did. Sometimes I would say “Jeeeesus Jesus Jesus” for maybe 5 minutes, and then I would go in to an “OOOOOO God.” I thought this would make my prayers go through.
Sometimes I felt like I was sitting outside of a door to a room where God was and if I prayed the right way, He would hear me.
Realistically, during these prayer meetings, I would normally pray for the first 5 minutes then I would spend the rest of the time looking at my watch wondering if I prayed long enough.
We were a small church of about 200-300 on a good Sunday morning. One that had morning prayer meetings from 5-8. This was not good for me because, as most my friends know, I am not a morning person. However, someone would always get on the platform and make others guilty for not coming to prayer meeting so early. What I couldn’t understand was why did it have to be so early? I mean, does God have somewhere to be?
I got discouraged after I left there because I didn’t pray like they prayed. My prayers were simple. I would start out with a “Father” and then go into my problems and needs. That took me about 5 minutes.
It was never explained to me that God wants to communicate to me. Maybe it was and I just never paid attention. It just is so hard to wrap my attention around the fact that God wants to hear from me, let alone listen or even care about my problems.
Craig Groeschel really hit it on the head for me in his book “The Christian Atheist.” He said:
Admittedly, when prayer becomes an empty, meaningless ritual, it is boring. But when you remember who you are talking to – when you acknowledge that the God of the universe is honestly, truly excited to hear from you – that truth alone will change your attitude toward prayer.
And when you talk to Him, be real. If you are angry, let Him know you are angry. If you’re hurting, let him know. Depressed? He cares. Don’t put on a mask that hides your true emotions, because who are you trying to fool? He knows the desires of your heart, so he is certainly going to know when you are being fake in front him.
How do you talk to Him? That is another issue I always had trouble getting over. I mean, when I grew up in a church where people moaned and groaned during prayer times or would start praying in tongues (which is another subject for another time) I thought that is how you were supposed to pray.
No, Jesus gave us instructions on how to pray. Man just found a way to muck it up and take something as simple as talking to God and make it as difficult as the waltz. Matthew 6.5-8, ““And when you pray, you shall not be like the hypocrites. For they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Assuredly, I say to you, they have their reward. But you, when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them. For your Father knows the things you have need of before you ask Him.”
It’s simple. Just talk to Him. He’s listening. Try it. Once you’ve talked to Him like a friend, parent or a spouse, you’re prayer life will never be the same.
