Prayer — Responsibility or Gift?

Prayer – Responsibility or Gift? 

I cannot say that prayer has always come naturally to me.  It is, however, something that has become easier and easier over time.  It is something I cherish and something that makes my life bearable.  That is not to say I have a rough life; my life seems easy compared to others.  But life being bearable to me has nothing to do with possessions or health.  It has everything to do with being forced to face the world alone, a solitaire individual dealing with life (or death) on one’s own.  Prayer ensures that will never have to happen.

So, what is prayer?  Is it strictly rhetoric intended to support religious dogma?  Hardly.  For me prayer is something incredibly personal, real, meaningful, and necessary.  I have come to view it as a pious responsibility, not because God demands it of me, but because He has created me in a way that my spirit requires it.  To not speak with AND listen to God would be forsaking what I am, what we all are, part of God’s creation.  In other words, to take care of myself, I need to pray; it is in my nature.  To ignore it would be like refusing eat; I would wither and die.   It is my responsibility to care for myself and for others, therefore, I must pray.  

Of course, what I pray for and how I pray has changed significantly over the years.  It became infinitely more important to me once I realized God hears and answers all my prayers, not in the way I want, but in the way I need.  AND I thank him for this every day. 

When I was young, I prayed for things like doing well in school, nailing a business presentation, getting a hit in a baseball game, taking care of my family, … they sound good.  It was not like I prayed to win the lottery or something.  OK, they were not good examples.  They were self-serving.  I failed to ask Him to help me do as He willed.  I do not recall when I changed how I pray, but today I pray for guidance, strength to deal with what the world throws at me, and to open hearts to let the Holy Spirit work within me and my family…and always for me to do as God wills.  I pray for forgiveness… because I need it and only God can provide it.  I pray for Him to fill my soul, so I do not desire to sin anymore. 

Is it a gift?  I think so.  I struggle to think of it in any other way.  I certainly have done nothing to earn the right to speak with God, to have Him listen, and to answer.  And yet, He does.  I am a flawed person and yet He listens to me.  He also talks to me if I humble myself to listen.  

If this is such a wonderful gift, do we get what we pray for?  This is a tough question and one that I will struggle with as long as I live on this earth.   Think the answer is God gives us what we need when we pray, not necessarily what we want.  To ask and receive means we have an obligation in how we pray; it requires something from us - 1 John 3:22 “…we keep his commandments and do what pleases Him.”  We need to humble ourselves to ask according to His will, not ours. 

I pray that these words do God’s will.