Teach me to Pray...
Jesus, I don't know how to pray. I know how to talk words to God. I know how to strings thoughts together into a pretty prayer, but I don't know how to pray.
I know how to regurgitate prayers I've heard and patterns of prayer I've learned by osmosis over years and years of indoctrination, but I don't know how to pray. I need you to teach me, Jesus.
Prayer is so complicated and confusing to me. It's distracted and diluted. It's laborious and monotonous. It's infrequent and indifferent. When I'm praying I'm not sure I even believe half of what I'm saying or know what I'm saying to be frank. It's rote and mindless most often.
It can be very auto-pilot is what I'm saying. I know how to take the theme of the moment and fashion a thematic display of language to set something up or to bring something to a conclusion. I know what people need to hear as I pray, but I don't know if I'm praying or talking to people using our conversation as a way to say a few more things I want them to hear. So is that prayer? Lord, teach me to pray.
I know how to make people relax through prayer. I know how to make people feel encouraged through prayer (i.e. - "God, thank you for Melanie and the tender heart you've given her and the daring life she is leading."). I know how to sound like I'm close to God or to make other people feel that I know God, making me more trustworthy and respectable. It's hogwash. Teach me to really pray.
I know how to pray breath prayers throughout the day, but I struggle to just sit still and talk to God in the name of Christ. I'm harassed by intrusive thoughts, there is no peace of mind as I linger in your presence. This can't be good.
But I'm here to today saying that I want your teaching...will you teach me? Will you teach me to pray, to lead, to love, to listen, to be, to laugh, to relax, to risk? Will you? Will you say to me, "When you pray, pray like this..." When you do...may I obey.
Lord, teach me to pray...
I know how to regurgitate prayers I've heard and patterns of prayer I've learned by osmosis over years and years of indoctrination, but I don't know how to pray. I need you to teach me, Jesus.
Prayer is so complicated and confusing to me. It's distracted and diluted. It's laborious and monotonous. It's infrequent and indifferent. When I'm praying I'm not sure I even believe half of what I'm saying or know what I'm saying to be frank. It's rote and mindless most often.
It can be very auto-pilot is what I'm saying. I know how to take the theme of the moment and fashion a thematic display of language to set something up or to bring something to a conclusion. I know what people need to hear as I pray, but I don't know if I'm praying or talking to people using our conversation as a way to say a few more things I want them to hear. So is that prayer? Lord, teach me to pray.
I know how to make people relax through prayer. I know how to make people feel encouraged through prayer (i.e. - "God, thank you for Melanie and the tender heart you've given her and the daring life she is leading."). I know how to sound like I'm close to God or to make other people feel that I know God, making me more trustworthy and respectable. It's hogwash. Teach me to really pray.
I know how to pray breath prayers throughout the day, but I struggle to just sit still and talk to God in the name of Christ. I'm harassed by intrusive thoughts, there is no peace of mind as I linger in your presence. This can't be good.
But I'm here to today saying that I want your teaching...will you teach me? Will you teach me to pray, to lead, to love, to listen, to be, to laugh, to relax, to risk? Will you? Will you say to me, "When you pray, pray like this..." When you do...may I obey.
Lord, teach me to pray...
Comments
Post a Comment