No More Microwave Prayers

I'm just getting reacquainted with the practice of praying. I've never felt like I was "good" at it, but that just isn't the point, is it?

So a few thoughts.

When I want God to help me with something, I don't just say, "Hey God, I really want this. What can you do about it?" I say, "Lord, I really want this. Please help me act with confidence and give me strength so that I can do my part and trust that you will do yours." In other cases where I'm praying for a certain bad situation in another person's life, I don't only say, "Lord, fix it!" (though I do cry out like this, often!) I've learned to say, "Lord, help them first realize the situation that they are in, to see their actions for what they are (destructive, hurtful, etc). Now, help me know what to say and do to encourage this person out of their sin. Give me courage to act." I have some responsibility in these requests too! 

Nehemiah is one of my favorite prophets. What I love about him is 1) He was in continual prayer with God. Not huge long winded asides that took away from his human interactions, but he had a real continual mental connect with which he spoke every word. Several times, the text says simply "Nehemiah prayed and then spoke." There's this aside I love in chapter 6, stuck between the dialogue and narration--"Now therefore, O God, strengthen my hands." In every thing I must be (and am!) able to relate directly to God. 2) Nehemiah was not afraid to say, God, I did something good just now. 5:19, he says, "Remember me, my God, for good, according to all that I have done for this people." I think this is so healthy. It's the give and take--our actions honor our God, and our God receives and reciprocates our love. It's not a reward--He loves us regardless, but being able to do good and  to be able to say unashamed "remember me for my good" creates the mutual free will relationship that is so important to us and God.

I've also started something I've never been comfortable with before--throwing myself on my knees before God. More on that another time, though.