On Prayer...

I'm just gonna say it: Prayer is hard.

I mean, yes it is easy in the "there's no wrong way to pray" mentality, but it is also hard in knowing the ways that work for us.
   Prayer is easy in that as long as we show up, we can have faith God is there, but it is hard because we so often get distracted and we are seldom fully present.
   Prayer is easy in that our souls just naturally yearn to have a connection with God, but it is hard... so hard... when we feel like that connection isn't happening.

So yes, prayer is HARD.
   But... it is SO worth it.  Why?
   Because it builds our relationship with God.  It deepens, enriches, and draws us closer in relationship with the One who made us, loves us still and seeks the absolute best for us.  In prayer, we connect with God in big and little ways.  We become aware of God's faithfulness to us, God's activity in our lives, God's dreams for us, and we grow in our own desire to be ever closer to God.

I recently read Ronald Rolheiser's book, Prayer: Our Deepest Longing.  In that book, Rolheiser likens the spiritual discipline of prayer to caring for aging parents/loved ones.  Out of a sense of duty and love, we daily stop by to spend time with our loved one, offering care, helping with the evening meal, chatting about the day, and simply being present.  Very rarely would these daily visits amount to much when looked at individually, but when looked at over the course of time, we grow to know that person so deeply and wholly -- and that person knows us just as deeply.  That happens, Rolheiser says, because "at a deep level of relationship, the real connection between us takes place below the surface of our conversation.  We begin to know each other through simple presence."  The very same is true with prayer!!  If we pray faithfully every day, day in, day out, year after year, an intimacy with our Maker can't help but be developed.

But we are a people of instant gratification -- and this is where once again, prayer is hard.  We want prayer to be life changing every time.  Monumental.  We want the mountain top experience. We want to be instantly touched.  Healed.  Moved.  Changed.  Connected with God in some new and real way.  While this can (and does) happen from time to time, it is not the norm.  The norm is more steady.  Uneventful.  Bland.  And perhaps, dare I say ,even boring.  And  hear me say, that's OK.  Just as a meaningful friendship isn't built around the "what have you done for me lately" motif, a relationship with God is't either.  It's about being steady and faithful - even when we don't want to.  It's about showing up and knowing that when we are distracted, God is still there and fully present.  It's about knowing that when we feel like we are failing at prayer (which is actually impossible), the intent of our heart to pray and connect with God saves us.  God sees our intent and connects with us even then.

How have you found richness in the regular practice of prayer?  Or on the other side of that coin, have you been discouraged in your prayer life?  It's never too late to start fresh.  In the next few blogs, I will give some examples of prayer practices that have been meaningful to me -- perhaps you will find one that resonates with you!