Post #767687

Christian posting: Should Christians pray every day? Or even multiple times a day? I recall, for many years, I struggled greatly with prayer. Multiple reasons really. But, there are two that really stand out in my mind. And, these same two, I suspect, are common to most Christians. The first is, well, what I suspect is nearly universal. Mainly, what should you say? So many times, my mind would just go blank. I would struggle to say anything at all. Perhaps you, like me, tried to overcome this by finding a good prayer, such as the lord's prayer. Matthew 6:9 Our Father who is in the heavens, hallowed be Your name. Your kingdom come. Your will be done, as in heaven, also upon earth. Give us today our necessary bread. And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one But, curiously, it is very hard to just, read something like this over and over. A plaguing sense of vanity grows. Not only do you wonder if you mean the words, but as you say them, you wonder what do the words even mean? This exposes the foundational issue. That I didn't know God, I didn't know what these words meant. And, my contemplation on their meaning left me feeling lacking or condemned. And, so, well, what should I pray about? It seems rather obvious, but there are presuppositions that prevented me from reaching the obvious. Mainly, I often left like I was bothering God when I would pray. I wanted to say things he liked, and not be a bother. I'd implicitly decided that God was another short, rude, impatient person, that was so powerful that I really could not afford his displeasure. The reality is so much better. God loves to hear from me, and loves to help me. Even if I have the same questions, or needs, everyday, he would still love for me to ask. And, knowing that, prayer becomes obvious. I need to know about all sorts of things, what is important, what do different things mean, what does a scripture mean, and is it good or bad? Prayer should be an ocean of questions. Questions every day. You can only really find out about God by asking him questions. The state of a man upon the Earth, is that he is surrounded by darkness, and has uncountable needs. So, prayer should start as asking question, and asking for help. You should also tell God about, what ever it is you need to talk to someone about. Or what interests you. Jesus and God the Father, love hearing from you. So don't worry about troubling them, annoying them, or being ungrateful or discontent, or selfish. God knows your life is hard, even when sometimes it feels easy. He is fulled with compassion for you, and will not turn you away. Bring all your troubles to him. Bring all your hopes and dreams to him. You need never consider a reason WHY God should give you his grace, his love, his attention. For you appear to him a treasure, a treasure worth much labor and love. He sees you this way, even with all your faults and short comings, even so, he sees you as a precious treasure, which he wishes to keep for himself.