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Guilt-Free Praying

I wonder how many books have been written, how many sermons have been preached, and how many retreats have been offered on the subject of prayer. I haven't done the research, but I'd venture a guess that it's more than a few, much more.

I began to read a book on the subject a couple of days ago, but I found that rather than encourage me, it weighed me down. With each page, I felt the burden on my back grow heavier. This morning as I read, I pondered the problem and realized that the whole book is based on how I should pray. Virtually every chapter has a checklist. The author lines everything out for you from the proper time of day to pray (morning) to your physical posture (on your knees) to the types of prayer (praise, thanksgiving, petition, etc) to your attitude while in prayer (submission). No wonder I could feel my burden grow more weighty with each paragraph!

I don't know about you, but my life already overflows with "shoulds." There are days when I am simply bone-weary of everything I'm supposed to do to be a good Christian, a good wife, a good mother, a good employee, a good friend, a good pastor's wife, etc. etc. etc. I have good reason to feel guilty about plenty without adding prayer to the list.


When I come to pray each morning, I simply can't handle another list of shoulds. I pray because I want to hang out with Jesus. I want to meet with Him, and somehow I don't think He's too concerned about whether or not I'm kneeling or sitting or if I make it through all the types of prayer. When I read the Bible, I get the idea that God wants to spend time with His people even more than we want to spend time with Him. I get the idea that prayer is about a relationship - a love relationship between the Creator and His created, the Lover and the beloved, the Savior and those He saved. I get the idea that prayer isn't comprised of shoulds, it's comprised of Love and that Love, in and of Himself, is everything.

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