TRUE PRAYER

Too often my prayers become a series of distracting thoughts, ending up going around in my own little treadmill of repetition. A prayer book introduces other things, ideas, and people to pray for and about, brings higher thoughts to my weary mind, broadens my misty horizons, and lifts my spirit above my petty burdens.

But sometimes when I try to pray, my eyes skim over the familiar words. For years I have felt guilty and tried to go back and reread (re-pray?) with limited success. And in church I couldn't do that anyway.

Last week it came to me that it didn't matter. God knows what the words are. They are more to remind me than to remind Him! And if there is something I really need to see and have sink in, He always draws my wandering attention to it, so that often I find something new I would swear I never saw or read before!

The important thing about my prayer time isn't so much the words I say or don't say, but to simply be quiet in His presence, drawing His strength and peace into my heart and mind and spirit. And if "reading" familiar prayers keeps my mind on Him, even if the meaning of the words isn't penetrating, that's the important thing.

Prayer is perhaps as much focusing on God as it is petition, thanksgiving, praise, or intercession.