thy will be done

i often catch myself praying the same prayers over and over. praying daily is a good habit - praying the same prayers every day are not. "when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words." thus, prayer is not about quantity, or about robotically repeating a prayer five (or even seven) times a day. it's definitely good to pray a lot, but if you're just reciting things out of memory or habit with no passion or authenticity, you won't benefit much.

so how must i pray? "when you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you openly." therefore i first must shut the door to the distractions. i have to sit in peace because His voice is not broadcast from loudspeakers, but in the "still, small voice." this is why i'm not really a big fan of praying aloud in groups. it is too easy to be focused on what other people are hearing than on what God is hearing in those types of settings. obviously, prayer in groups won't hurt, but it is complementary, not supplementary.

yet i often forget (or don't know) what it even means to ask, seek, and knock. what am i praying for exactly? i guess the answer is, "who cares? you're not expected to know." therefore, i must pray that God's will be done - whatever it is. i must therefore put aside all my needs and wants, and "seek first the kingdom of God," and all these inconsequential and petty distractions will be given to me. as long as i love God, everything will work out for the best.

finally, i have to be real. once i knock down all the walls that the world has forced me to put up, i can truly begin to pray.