Tags
Related Posts
Share This
Quit Babbling and Start Praying
Many years ago when I was a new Christian I was so afraid of going to prayer meetings. It seemed like everyone knew how to pray but me. When I talked with God it seemed like I never knew the right words to say or how to say them and I seemed to ramble on. One night our minister announced that he would like everyone to pray out loud. Immediately a lump came into my throat. My mind went from wanting to talk with God to what would everyone think when they heard me pray. Would I ramble on? Would my mouth run dry? Then he shared this passage from Matthew with us. He explained that God wanted us to talk to Him from our hearts. That this would be a praise service and everyone who prayed could only pray one sentence. We could pray more than once but only one sentence at a time. He read to us from I John 1:9 and left a moment of silence so that everyone could silently go before God, confess their sins, and focus on God.
That night I learned how to pray. God spoke to my heart. All He wants is to have fellowship with me. He doesn’t need flowery words. He just likes to hear the simple truths that come from my heart.
I know that in my own life. I often make my relationship with God more complex than it has to be. I abandon 5 min. of sincere prayer because I don’t feel like I am being holy enough. But Ellen, you are so right. God doesn’t want flowery words, he wants me, he doesn’t want magnificent prayers, he just wants to connect with me.
Sometimes my efforts to get close to God, do nothing but get in the way.
Ellen I was the babbler and still can be. It happens most often when I am only talking about me, my need, my hopes, my plans, what I want God to do for me. That is when I babble. I thought about how boring it is to talk to someone who only talks about themself and that helped me change my prayer life. The ACTS prayer method also helped. It starts out talking about and really reminding me who God is. I can’t praise God if I don’t know who He is.
Father, I praise You today for being soveriegn and in controll. Praise that You are compassionate and slow to anger. I praise You for being everywhere and a part of my life. I praise You for Jesus. Amen
I find this verse so comforting. The idea of God knowing my needs before I ever mention them. How awesome is that. When I cannot muster the words or express how I truly feel…God already knows. What an awesome God we serve!
Thanks Ellen. My previous church, as part of our Sunday worship, had a time to let God speak. It could last 30 minutes, sometimes longer. We waited for God to speak through a prayer, a scripture, or a song. Many times God would confirm something through two or three people. What blew me away was that it was God and us, us and God all talking.
If we’re among friends, what does conversation look like. It can be fun. It can be serious. Jesus calls us friends. (John 15) I know what my friends would do if I were to start babbling, complaining, rambling on, etc.
Thanks Penny. It is boring to talk to someone who only talks about himself. That is a great point! And if I know a person only talks to me to get me to do something for them, how do I feel when I see them coming. Does God groan when He sees us coming His way?
Hi Ellen, You are the most awesome prayer warrior I know. Thanks you for praying for us over the years. I, too,learned to pray at CCC. It is so good to be reminded that it’s not the words but what’s in our heart that counts….
Ellen, you dahhhh man, ahhh lady! Personally, I don’t like praying aloud in public, because that verse, always comes to mind. Then in the back of my mind I’m thinking, OK am I praying to God or to impress the people that are listening. Well, as soon as I think of that, I realize I’m guilty of doing what I don’t want to do, I’m NOT focusing on God…Agrrrr!
I do believe that GOD does know what is in our heart and He knows when we are doing the best we can.
Blessings
Ellen, thank you for sharing this “simple truth form your heart.”
Ellen…thanks so much for your wise words that have been with me all day…so true. Thanks also for serving and loving on the folks at CCC…we are so blessed to have you in our family.
Ellen… your heart speaks so very loudly. thanks for being one of those “third place” people.