Hey!
I was working on a separate blog post for this week, but this topic hit me two nights ago and I felt it was absolutely necessary to postpone the other post.
I have a few questions for you to think about and my hope is that this ignites a conversation in the comment section because I'd love to know your experience with this topic.
When you pray, do you recite words just so that you don’t feel guilty for not praying? Or are you having a heartfelt conversation with God? I’ve prayed everyday since I could say a complete sentence, but more recently, I’ve been reflecting on what prayer truly means to me. I’ve often caught myself reciting prayers out of a book or saying 'the Lord’s Prayer' and 'The Grace', which many Christians say on a daily basis. But the question is, "how often do we reflect on the meaning and significance of these prayers?" Are we praying 'The Grace" so that all protocols are observed, or are we truly praying for the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the love of God to be with us now and always? When we make our personal intentions known to God, are we just reciting a wish list or are we in true communion with our heavenly Father? When we pray for the poor and our country, are those mere platitudes so that we don’t seem self centered while telling God our list of requests that we feel so entitled to? I’m writing this because I ask myself these questions on a daily basis and sometimes find myself guilty of praying to fulfil all righteousness without truly being in tune with Christ. So how can we pray better and ensure we are truly in tune with God while praying?
One thing I've learned is to stop myself in the moment. Once I notice that I'm not reflecting on my prayers, I take a step back, settle myself down and have a minute of silence to push everything else on my mind aside. After the silence, I carry on with my prayer while being mindful of each word I utter because It's important that each word of our prayers are heartfelt and faithful.
Like I mentioned earlier, I'd love to know how you ensure true communion with God while praying so please feel free to comment below.
Thanks for reading WrittenByIsi
-Isi Ijewere
Bible verse takeaway: "For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also" -Matthew 6:21 (KJV)