It can be so easy to complicate prayer, can't it? As I began to cultivate a faith life as a senior in college, my "prayer" time consisted of a to-do list:
Make the Sign of the Cross.
Journal three things I was thankful for.
I'd always pause at this point, not confident that He truly wanted to hear what was on my heart, and end with another quick Sign of the Cross.
There is nothing wrong with any of the above, but I think—for so long—I missed the point of prayer.
Prayer is simply a conversation with God! Our good, good Father. The One Who sees us and delights in us. The One Who meets us where we are in our faith! He even gives us the Our Father prayer in today's Gospel as prayer with so much depth that one could pray with it for hours (Matthew 6:7-15). In my routine of prayer I did not give God space to respond in my heart.
No faith is too small for Him to work with, and when we make ourselves available to Him in the time we have: He moves!
Do not be discouraged if you find yourself with a prayer to-do list or another day that's gone by without setting time aside to be in His presence. Just as any other strong relationship takes time to cultivate, so too does our relationship with Him. Run to Him and know with confidence that He waits to hear what's on your mind and heart. And day by day, our relationship with Him will come alive and be strengthened.
Day by day, He'll foster this relationship and lead us from a prayer time of to-do to a prayer time that simply leaves us content in His presence.
Run to Him. // Shalini BlubaughClick to tweet
Re-commit to a simple prayer routine of, "Jesus, I love You, Jesus, I Trust in You" today.
LOVING GOD, LOVING OTHERS
A NEW WORKSHOP
COME BACK TO FIRST LOVE
