SWEET FREEDOM DAILY DEVOTIONAL: How To Pray

By
Sarah Palin
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Sacred Heart Basilica, Paray-le-Monial. Stained glass window. St. Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647-1690) was a French Roman Catholic nun who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. (Photo by: Godong/UIG via Getty Images)

My God, I cry out by day, but you do not answer, by night, but I find no rest.
Psalm 22:2

Our prayers – like David’s – can be all over the place. We’ll offer prayers of thanksgiving one day, prayers of self-pity (why me?) the next, turn around the following day with prayers of gratitude for our many blessings, then wail with prayers of despair that life is too hard, before offering prayers of complaint that God doesn’t seem to be listening – or responding – at all. Good thing our wild fluctuations don’t get God dizzy.

One reason for a “dry” or unsatisfactory prayer life is that we keep the focus on ourselves. That’s a mistake, because our emotions, our circumstances, the good days and the bad days, can change every day.

But God is unchanging. He is constant. Instead of regarding Him as a genie at our ever-changing command, we need to think of ways to honor and serve Him. Our prayers are a way to seek out His will; that’s why we pray that His will, not our will, be done.

Sweet Freedom in Action
Today, reflect on whether your prayers are focused on giving glory to God.

 

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