on prayer

boingggg: just to protect myself from getting bashed about this post, i really do mean it. i'm not being sarcastic or critical. i know it may sounds negative or like i'm trying to be funny to some, but honestly, i don't mean it like that.


i have the attention span of a puppy with ADHD and i sometimes find it a little bit challenging to pray for any one thing for prolonged periods of time (in one sitting). not because i get tired of it, but it's like... once i've said it, i've said it.

if there's a barbecue on tomorrow and i'd like to pray for fine weather, i pray that God will grant us fine weather, and please hold the rain until the day after.
if i have an exam tomorrow, i pray that i will remember everything and that i will do well in it.
if somebody isn't feeling well, i pray that they will speedily recover.

literally.

unless i am truly desperate, on a daily basis, my subject focused prayers are basically one liners.

let me give you an example:

Somebody else:
Father God, thank You for giving us this day and letting us come to Garden City. I just want to pray that you will help us find a parking spot that is close to the doors so that we won't have to walk too far, and also in the shade so that we will be out of the sun/rain. Please give us a good spot, Lord, and grant us a blessed trip to the mall today. Thank you Lord. Amen.

Me:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot soon. Thanks!

Me in desperate mode:
Dear Lord, please give us a good parking spot. Please give us a spot, please give us a spot, please give us a spot, oh dear God pleasegiveusaspot... (x infinity until we find a spot). Thanks.


and it just hit me then, when i was lying in bed and saying the until-i-doze-off prayer...

i jumped from one prayer item to the next, to the next, to the next, and then jumped back to the original item and repeated. within about two minutes.
there are people out in that wide and wonderful(ly strange) world out there that can pray for hours on end about the one thing, and i have found that i am not such a person.

i actually felt as if i wasn't saying an adequate prayer, so i tried to buff it up a little, but found myself basically repeating what i'd just said (and there's nothing wrong with that, really).

i am just not one of those long, powerful, non-repetitive prayer persons.

and i'm not making any criticisms about people who say long prayers here. i get that many people do get touched by the spirit and the prayer just comes pouring out from their hearts (wow, it's hard to say that without sounding mocking ><, but i mean it sincerely), and that's really great.

but i do believe i'm not the only person out there who does the one-liners. i believe that for every super awesomely beyond awesome prayer warrior out there, there is an equally simple one.

and it's nothing to be ashamed of.
the Bible says this:

When you are praying, don't say meaningless things like the gentiles do, because they think they will be heard by being so wordy.

Matthew 6:7

and again, that's not condemning eloquence. it just means even the simplest prayers are heard. Jesus said to go to Him as the children do, simply and honestly. so i don't believe a prayer has to be long or wordy. i think that as long as you mean it, and you know that you are directing your thanksgiving and petitions towards God, He hears it. He hears everything, man, i don't think He'd skim over a simple prayer.

and yes, i know that specifics are important. but i also know that God knows my heart. so if i want a good parking spot in Garden City (almost impossible, but all things are possible through Christ so HAH!) and i just pray for a good parking spot, i trust that God will give me one. (and if He doesn't, He probably wants me to walk off the lunch).

it's not an excuse to say really short prayers. i mean, with thanksgiving and confession prayers, i think it's probably best to go all out and give God the thanks He deserves, and beg the forgiveness you do not.

it's just that not everyone is a storyteller, not everyone is good with words, not everyone has a vocabulary the size of canada, and not everyone is a long prayer person.

so if you find that you are - or can at times be - a one-liner, have faith. your prayers have not gone unheard. as long as your heart is right with God, He will work on it and make it all happen in His own time.

big smiles :)