Simple truths

Many times it seems as if prayer is made out to be much more than it was ever intended to be.

• some seem to fixate on making sure their prayers "sound right"
• they're resplendent with all the "thee's" and "thou's" and such
• they overflow, almost to the max, with such phrases as "oh gracious father", "our merciful father" and the like
• they are spoken with such voice inflection, over the top passion, and with such a variety of words that would never grace a normal conversation, that they seem almost phony...as if they were being prayed simply for the pleasure of the listening audience.

Let it be known right now that this is not a bash fest on prayer...in fact far from it.  For the benefit of those who may feel that their prayers have to be "perfect", that their prayers have to "sound right" in order to "be right", here are some simple truths about prayer:

1. prayer really is a mystery!
2. it requires faith because you are embracing the unexplainable.
1. how, after all, can anyone come to any definable conclusion that God is hearing prayers from perhaps millions of people all at the same time?  By faith alone.
2. how can one explain that they are praying to someone they cannot see and touch?  By faith alone.
3. prayer isn't that place where you meet God.  It's that place where He meets us.
1. it's that place where we shut up and show up.
2. it's that place where we turn off all that is around us so that He can communicate with us.
4. prayer, therefore, gives us the strength to continue on with our journey.

One of the most beautiful prayer I have ever heard came out of the mouth of one of the roughest, crudest, simplistic men I have ever known.  It was at an AA meeting years ago.  The particular man was an absolute believer in much more than his "higher power."  He truly believed in God, and at that time he was hurting, and wanted to pray.  It went something like this:
     "Hey God, this here is Jerry....you know, that really messed up guy.  Well God, you know I am really