The Realest Prayer I Prayed All Week

 The bible tells us to pray without ceasing. In my effort to fulfill that expectation, each morning, even before I get out of bed, I thank God for another day of life, air to breathe, his grace and peace. As I go through my morning routine, I thank God for the modern conveniences that make my life so easy like reliable electricity and clean water that comes to me via indoor plumbing. I thank him for the food in my kitchen, a relatively safe, quiet place to call home, a good job to go to and a decent car that will get me where I need to be. I thank God for family and friends and ask him to watch over them and make his presence known in their lives. I ask him to bless my employers and coworkers and to help me be a good employee and coworker that day. By the time I walk out the door to go to work, I have spent a little over an hour recognizing the many blessings God has graced me with and I am filled with the joy of gratitude. At the end of the day, as I climb into bed, I thank the Lord for getting me through another day. I ask his forgiveness for the many ways I fell short and for his protection through the night. I’ve also instituted prayer triggers that help me remember to pray through the day. When I hear a siren, I pray for the first responders and those they are rushing to aid. When I find myself in a line at the store, I take the opportunity to pray either for the people around me or challenges I’m currently facing. The problem with this prayer routine is that too often repeating the same prayer day after day, I feel like I am talking at God more than talking with God. 

This past week we had a winter storm that made for some unsafe driving. I was driving up a very snow-covered hill sliding all over and not sure I was going to make it to the top where a right turn leads to level ground again when a truck turned the corner coming down the hill. The moment I saw the truck I panicked because I had just as much chance of hitting the truck as missing it and my immediate reaction was a prayer, “O God, I need your help.” It was the realest prayer I’ve prayed in a while. Later at home, I became disappointed in myself that more of my prayer time isn’t as genuine as that simple plea in that moment of need was. But now I’ve come to realize that the only reason I was able to utter that earnest prayer so automatically in that crucial moment is because of the habit of routine prayer I’ve established. So yes, in my regular prayer time I will be trying to talk with God more than at him but either way I will continue because it is what makes prayer when I need it my first reaction. In case you were wondering, I didn’t hit the truck and I made it to the top of the hill okay. Thank you, Jesus!