“Prayer requires that we stand in God’s presence with open hands, naked and vulnerable, proclaiming to ourselves and to others that without God we can do nothing. This is difficult in a climate where the predominant counsel is ‘Do your best and God will do the rest.’ When life is divided into ‘our best’ and ‘God’s rest,’ we have turned prayer into a last resort to be used only when all our resources are depleted. Then even the Lord has become the victim of our impatience. Discipleship does not mean to use God when we can no longer function ourselves. On the contrary, it means to recognize that we can do nothing at all, but that God can do everything through us. As disciples, we find not some but all of our strength, hope, courage, and confidence in God. Therefore, prayer must be our first concern” (Henri Nouwen).

It’s easy to make prayer a last resort after all my plans have failed, but it should be first. Before anything else, pray. Don’t be afraid to come boldly before the throne of grace and pray big to a big God. I wonder if we don’t have because we simply don’t ask. We want to appear spiritual before God as if He doesn’t already see what’s in our hearts anyway.

Pray for the big things. Pray for the little things. Pray for healing. Pray for lost keys. Of course, pray for others at least as much as you pray for yourself. Pray with the expectation that God will speak and pray to listen to what He has to say.

“Our Father in heaven,
Reveal who you are.
Set the world right;
Do what’s best—
    as above, so below.
Keep us alive with three square meals.
Keep us forgiven with you and forgiving others.
Keep us safe from ourselves and the Devil.
You’re in charge!
You can do anything you want!
You’re ablaze in beauty!
    Yes. Yes. Yes” (Matthew 6:9-13, The Message).