An Act of Submission: Prayer

Pray [verb]: (1) to make a request in a humble manner; (2) to address God or a god with adoration, confession, supplication, or thanksgiving

Often I wonder how often we take heed of the definition of pray. Sometimes I think we, as Christians, think it's our RIGHT to "pray" and ask God for everything we want/need/etc... 

[Let me preface with, I don't think it's wrong AT ALL to ask God for the desires of our heart... In fact, he asks that we do (Psalm 37:4;  Mark 11:24)]

But when was the last time we (and I'm preaching to myself here...) came to God in a purely humble manner. 

Humble [adjective]: (1) having a feeling of insignificance, inferiority, subservience; (2) courteously respectful

In response to God, we should be nothing BUT humble. If we look at ourselves... We are in a fallen world, living a broken life, that is make good only by His perfect life. How or why should we go before Him with an attitude of expectation? Expectation that He will do EXACTLY what WE want, when WE want it, and how WE want it. Where is the humbleness in that? 

And when we pray... Are we as respectful as we should be considering it is the Most High God we are talking to? Or are we coming at it as if he is our friend, across the street, whom we only talk to once in a blue moon?

God didn't HAVE to die for us. He doesn't HAVE to listen to our whiny, selfish prayers.

BUT HE DOES.

And how amazing I've found it.

Despite the fact that I find myself praying for the smallest, silliest, most selfish things, I KNOW He listens. But how often do I really do it, considering what I know?

Muslims pray 5 times a day facing Mecca.

Judiasm requires their followers to pray 3 times a day.

Hindus pray 3 times a day.

HOW OFTEN DO WE PRAY?

God doesn't require a certain amount. It doesn't matter when we pray, or how we pray... But God WANTS us to pray. 

Prayer is our way of recognizing God as our friend, our father, and our God.

It requires a certain amount of humbleness to pour out our heart to someone... and this is what God is asking us to do. Not in a vain attitude, where we can boast to people about "how we prayed..." It's not even so we can tell people "Well this happened because I prayed..." It's simply to be in tune with God. To humble ourselves, to be real, and to become intimate with the one Man who can understand our aches, pains, joys, and laughter more than we can ourself.

So pray. 

Pray with an attitude of humbleness. God doesn't HAVE to listen to us, but He WANTS to and He DOES. 

Pray with respectfulness because it's the God of the universe we are talking with.

Pray with fervor because it's our real heart God wants to hear.

Pray real because God knows it even when we're faking.

Pray.