Learning How To Pray

Lately I've been thinking about how to get close with God. I realize that the one thing that everyone turns to is prayer. I know even I do it. But do I really know how to pray? All these years of reciting empty words, have I really learned the meaning of prayer? Can I really talk to God without fear of mockery, without fear of saying the wrong thing, without fear of forgetting what I'm supposed to say, without fear of forgetting to make the sign of the cross?

I read a little story that I had archived in my emails, and it tells of a man who always went to church to pray during his lunch break. This is how he prayed;

"Dear Jesus,

I just came again to tell you
How happy I have been
Since we found each other's friendship
And you took away my sin.

I don't know much of how to pray
But I think about you everyday

So Jesus,
This is me, checking in today."

This is probably the most simple prayer anyone can say. It's a prayer so full of love, of meaning. It's like that saying, "pray with the heart of a child, but live a life that follows Christ." (Okay, so maybe I just made that up, but still.)

The thing is, I've been thinking about things I've done, things I'm doing. The people who I consider my friends now, they all fully support me in my faith. The thing is, as I read the rest of this story, I saw a little response to that prayer, from God. As I read it, I heard a voice actually saying these things to me. Here's the response;

"My Dear and Beloved,

I'm always here and I love you
Oh how happy I have been
Since we've found each other's friendship
And I took away your sins.

I always love to hear you pray,
And I think about you each day.

So my child, this is Jesus,
Checking in today."

And I know God loves me. He loves all of us. He is proud of each and every one of us. All He really expects from us is obedience. That's when He will give us the world, if that's what we want.

So what I guess I really learned was that the most important thing to keep in mind is that to pray, is to talk to God. It isn't like presenting a speech or a petition to a million people. It's just like talking to your parents, your siblings, your friends. Keep it simple. Keep in real.

Amen.