Not exactly… but it actually should be easier than we make it out to be. I know that in the early days of my walk with Jesus, prayer was something I pushed to the back of my mind and heart. It was one of the things I knew that “real” Christians participated in, but I was new at this stuff so maybe it wasn’t on my list yet. It was boring, I felt silly doing it, I never knew what words sounded right, and anyway, God was probably way too busy running the world to listen to my whining and droning. Don’t even think of asking me to do it in front of other people because I was SURE they were giggling at my stumbling and mumbling. Eventually, I just dropped the whole thing and (wrongly) fell for the lie from satan that prayer was a waste of my time and God’s. ( If you are honest you will admit that thought has crossed your mind at one time or another.)
I got older, and had three kids and got busy with being a wife and mommy. I had tons of stuff to do all the time but I noticed that my heart was kind of sad all the time. I had a great life , wonderful family, but something was missing. A friend of mine bought me a new Bible , and I read it every day… because I knew that’s what you do when ” something is missing.” One day though, I became aware of something different as I began to read. I wasn’t by myself. My oldest child was at baseball practice, and the other two were napping and I was technically alone in the room but- I wasn’t by myself. I was not lonely or sad. God was with me and I knew He wanted me just to talk to Him. So I did. I prayed. I goofed up my words, and I stumbled at first. I figured my kids would all think I was crazy because I have always prayed out loud. But the best thing I did was .. I just prayed.
Sometimes I talked, and mostly I just sat with God and listened. Still, I read His love letter to me and I listen. I thank Him for helping me get to know Him more each day, and for taking care of me and my family and I cry and I praise Him with words.
Prayer opened up a door for me to have a significant relationship with Jesus. One filled with hope and expectations and love. He wants the same for you.
This is an excerpt from a blog written by Tim Challies.. I loved it so I am sharing.
If I want to learn to pray for my family, and if I want to pray for them well and effectively, I need to get on my knees and pray for them and I need to persevere in those prayers.
If I want to learn to pray for the people in my church, I need to pray with them and pray for them.
If I want to learn how to confess sin in prayer, I need to pray and confess sin, trusting that the more I do it, the more natural it will become.
If I want to learn to better express gratitude in prayer, I need to pray and thank the Lord for his good gifts, and then do it again. And again.
If I want to more naturally pray with my Bible open, praying Scripture, I need to start praying Scripture and trust that in time it will become easier.
If I want to know how to pray, I just need to pray.
No book, no classroom, no course, no instructor can teach me so much about prayer that I can avoid the the hard work of learning on my knees. Ultimately prayer itself is the classroom.
Cheryl Stevens - Words on Wordpress 