Not About Me

When I pray and feel good about it, fervent, warm and fuzzy, I think I am quite close to God and God is very pleased.  But this prayer is all about me.  I simply project onto God my good feelings.  That is,  if I feel good then God does too.  Whereas, when I pray and the feeling is all dry, boring, dull, distracted, then I think it is not a very good prayer, and God is not particularly happy with it.  Wrong. Prayer is all about the “wanting” to pray.  God appreciates my wanting, not my feelings good or bad.  Wanting to pray when I feel nothing much overcomes a bit of self-will that is controlled by feelings.  Feelings are not so important as attitude.  Think of love for another person.  When you are really fired up, “in love” all is easy.  But think of loving someone when you don’t feel like loving them, or think of someone loving you, being faithful to you, attentive to you, when they feel little in their heart.  This is the test of love, the wanting when you don’t have the feeling.  A commitment to prayer, is like a commitment to relationship.  Pray for the “wanting.”  The feelings will come and go.  Happy Halloween!