We have a special visitor today – Ann Voskamp – writer of One Thousand Gifts. The whole post can be found at How to Pray. This is partly reprinted with her permission.
How to Pray and the Best Way to Work
by Ann Voskamp
A life could really be full of all the best things:
Worried-full for nothing, thank-full for everything, prayer-full in all things.
…
“True, whole prayer is nothing but love,” offered St. Augustine. Is the only reason we don’t really pray is because we really don’t love? If one’s not praying regularly, it’s only because something else is regularly loved more than God.
Sometimes weeds go deep. I wrestle mine and there’s a taproot: Prayer becomes what we live when we want to get hold of God, not just get a hold of what we want. Yes. I want to parade happy too.
And real prayer isn’t about changing God’s mind but about finding God’s heart — and letting His heart change my mind.
Is this why God urges us to pray without ceasing? We need to pray without ceasing — because it’s the only way to live in communion. Without prayer, how can our life and His will have anything in common? Without prayer, we have nothing in common with God. Without prayer — we have no fellowship, no relationship, no worship. But when we enter into prayer, He enters into our thoughts and then we have much in common and the conversation never ends and we have our heart’s real desire — communion with Christ.
Please read the whole post.
Thank you Ann for your wonderful spirit-filled words. I love the line.
“If one’s not praying regularly, it’s only because something else is regularly loved more than God.”
Whew – we really have to think about that. What a challenge!
