how to pray, part two

dan here.  today's post comes from my good friend, and fellow seminarian, matt rittgers.  enjoy.  

Praying is hard--Or so probably most of us are convinced. We all know we should pray. We try again and again to get into a good prayer habit. We create lists of prayer requests for those we care about, we try praying early in the morning, or we recite ancient prayers again and again. But, for the most part, these often end up seeming hollow, don't they?

Thus, we find ourselves trapped in a seasonal cycle. We desperately want to pray- we buckle down and  force ourselves to pray- we get distracted or bored- we stop praying- we feel guilty- we desperately want to pray...

I think that there's a better way. 

Now, there's nothing wrong with lists, or trying to carve out special "prayer-time" each day. Nor is there a problem with wanting to recite the same prayer at meals or at bedtime. It's just that it's easy for out minds to feel like they are completing the task of prayer (checking that box off our list), while our hearts are disconnected.

So, if you're like me, you end up convinced that prayer is hard, or that you are a bad pray-er.

Yet, I bet all of us who have walked with the Lord for any length of time have had some very intimate moments of prayer at one time or another. Yet, since we are often so limited on what we consider to be prayer, we miss these moments.

For Example:

I vividly remember tossing and turning for weeks in bed, filled with stress about career and ministry choices. My mind was empty of anything but desperation. My heart cried to God for answers.

Or, I can recall several times I've been so overwhelmed with the goodness of life that I would randomly burst out talking/screaming/singing in my car. 

Both of these examples don't fit the formula of "Jesus, take care of so and so" or "God please bless me today." Yet, they still are prayer--and maybe even better prayers.

I am becoming more and more convinced that God wants us to be people that pray by allowing God into the moments of our lives. Things like telling God that you're frustrated when you get stuck in traffic. Or allowing God into your first sip of coffee in the morning. Or praying for your friends as you drive past their parts of town. Or thanking God for His faithfulness as you drift off to sleep.

This type of praying has been transforming my life. My prayers have become less and less "scripted" and more and more natural. And, slowly I believe I am becoming someone who is closer to God and better with communicating with Him.

dan again.  check back tomorrow as i share some thoughts on "how to pray, part three."  ml.