Heartfelt Prayer

That's a good title, isn't it? We know that prayer should come from the heart. But how well do we know our heart? Be honest. We live in a world that expects us to project an image - and, for many people, their image comes out of the wardrobe. We spend so much of our life trying to fulfil a role that we easily lose sight of who we really are. Do you want to pray from your heart? You'd best start by discovering what's in your heart.

Awkwardness
Do you love prayer? Or is it an activity that feels uncomfortable? If you're a lover of prayer it's a fair guess that the style of prayer you adopt is a good match to your personality. It may be that your prayer life is driven by a well developed spirituality, but personality is the key factor. Every Christian knows that prayer is important, but many find it slightly awkward. Awkwardness comes from trying to behave in a manner that's unnatural to you. It may be that the mental image you have about how prayer should be done looks good - but doesn't really work in your life.

Cultural
What works is what works! When you pray in keeping with your personality it come naturally to you. It feels right. So, what comes naturally to you? What puts light into your eyes and a spring into your step? It can be more difficult to know ourselves than to know God. We spend our lives from birth to early adulthood learning to fit in with the cultural norms of our society - to be acceptable - to 'fit in'. We do that partly by hiding parts of our personality, and we do it so effectively that we hide them from ourselves. We lose touch with who we really are.

Fantasies
Who are you? Once you were a child with dreams about a future - maybe a future that, for all sorts of reasons, hasn't happened - or not yet anyway. From time-to-time hints of your dreams emerge in stories that attract you, adventures or romances that you experience second-hand in fiction or in other people's biographies. Those dreams are clues to your personality. Why do other people live such exciting lives, but you never do? Were your dreams pointless fantasies? Or have you been hiding your true self?

Deeper
It's not just an issue of differing personalities, but of different moods and events. If we're adrift in a rowing boat going through a storm it's not the time for well-formed, elaborate prayers! When we discover a situation that appals us, words may fail us completely. But God accepts cries of anger or desperation; he understands wordless yearnings; tears touch his heart at least as much as they touch ours; and he enjoys the shout of glee. Prayer is much wider, deeper, and more varied than we may imagine.

Heartfelt
There's no reason ever to feel awkward about prayer. Whatever our personality, there's a form of prayer that will feel right. God knows who we are and what we're like, and he accepts us as we are. Whatever our mood, there's a place for prayer. Many of the Psalms are cries of distress, anxiety, anger, and complaint. We can't shock God. We can't impress him with pious words and skilful turns of phrase. What he wants to hear from us is heartfelt Prayer.