Our Father, which art in heaven...

Lightning and phone pole

God taught me about true prayer when I was little...a 7-yr old kid heading home on my bike facing a fast-moving thunderstorm, which frightened me enough to want to pray.

Problem was that at 7, my knowledge and vision of prayer was that of someone on their knees with their hands folded and eyes closed...but I didn't have time to do all that; so I started to cry and was worried if God would hear me.

Immediately I felt a three-fold assurance in my heart: (1) I would get home quicker if I stayed on my bike, (2) I was safer on my bike than on the ground, and (3) I was safer with my eyes open and hands on the handlebars instead of folded. My heart knew that not only did He hear me, but that He understood...and I got home safe.

So...prayer does not require getting on one's knees and folding their hands...it is soooo much more.

Prayer is what happens whenever we turn our thoughts toward heaven...prayer happens whenever we turn our hearts toward the One who created it...prayer happens whenever we find that we're at the end of ourselves and cry out to the Lord, knowing that we can't continue with the task by ourselves.
Prayer can be spoken, and it can be sung.
Prayer can be praise shouted from the rooftops, and it can be quiet...silent.
Prayer can be eloquent, and it can be simple...it can even be a moan or groan from the depths of our very being. And during the times we don't know what to pray, the Holy Spirit steps in and prays on our behalf, and even shows us what to pray.
Prayer is simply communicating with God. It is He who has chosen prayer to be the vehicle of communicating.
Prayer respects boundaries:  our own and His.

So...what about prayer and God's answer to it? We're taught that God always answers prayer, usually with a yes, no, or wait. And while those answers address many issues, there are times when they seem quite black-and-white...almost robotic; and while God is steadfast and remains holy and true to His word, I don't think of Him as being robotically rigid.

Aren't there times when you pray and find that the answer was waiting? God was waiting for you to pray.
Aren't there times when you pray and it seems God is silent? There could be numerous reasons for this, but many times I've found that the answer came, yet I didn't know because my eyes weren't open wide enough to see it.
Aren't there times when you pray and it seems like your petitions come up against a brick wall? Sometimes God wants us to be like Jacob and wrestle for the answer because there's something to be learned in the wrestling; and sometimes we just have to pick up our cross and move on within the boundaries He's set for us...and even that takes persevering in prayer to accomplish because it's all too easy to think it could be time to put a particular cross down.

I certainly don't know everything, but I don't believe there is a formula...no set recipe where we can put in the same amount of ingredients and be guaranteed the same result.

Regardless of what the prayer is, it's God's main vehicle of communication; we have no other way. And it's a good thing that there is no set formula, because it keeps our relationship with God alive...fresh.

Jesus taught us how to pray in Matthew 6...we're taught not to pray as the heathen do with empty repetitiveness...not to pray with a motive of desiring to be seen by others, but to go into our closet and pray in secret. And He gave us a prayer to use as a model which we can personalize: The Lord's Prayer. When our petitions fall within this model given us, we truly are praying in God's will. So, here goes:

Father God in heaven, You have revealed Yourself to us as the great I AM...Creator of all things in all the universe. Your name is holy and You alone are worthy of all glory, honor and praise.
Your kingdom comes, Lord. For yet a short time will the prince of the power of the air be here and the world remain as we now know it; but the earth is Your's and the fullness thereof.
Day by day we watch Your kingdom become established as You bring Your word to pass right before our eyes. Day by day we watch as You bring Your will to pass in earth as it is in heaven.
Thank You for giving us today our daily bread. The economy is so bad, Lord...and while we know we're not to worry, and while we know we're not even guaranteed tomorrow, we know it is foolish not give tomorrow consideration. Moses asked, Lord, that You would teach us to number our days so that we could redeem our time and resources. I ask that You continue to provide us with our needs...needs which You know of before we ever have need of them. Thank You for Your divine care.
Father God, I confess to You that I have been anxious about many things, including the elections. Please forgive me of this and help me to keep my eyes fixed and to trust You more for our nation's well-being. Isaiah tells us in Your word that the government is on YOUR shoulders; You will bring to pass whatever needs to be accomplished for Your kingdom, regardless of who is at the helm. And as I trust You, Lord, help me to remember that all things come to us from Your hand first, that I may not walk in unforgiveness.
Father, lead me not into the temptation of criticizing this administration outside of due cause (such as with abortion); keep me on track with Your purposes, Lord God, and deliver me from evil as is needed.
Yours is the Kingdom, Father God, and the power and the glory forever. You have put Jesus first and have done all things by Him and for Him...all things created in heaven, in earth, visible and invisible: thrones, dominions, principalities, powers...Jesus is before all things and by Him all things consist. He is the head of all, that in all things He comes first.
I bless Your holy name, Lord God, and commit to You all the glory and honor and praise for ever and ever. Hallelujah!  In Jesus' name, Amen.