On Prayer

Hi again Jessica. That book from Gloria Copeland looks like it will be really good! I was talking with your dad today, and thinking about books on prayer, and actually I do have one I think would be good. It is by Lynne Hammond, called, The Master is Calling. I have hesitated to recommend a book on prayer because for me, sometimes reading those books have hindered more than helped me. I was going through parts of Lynne's book, and found that that is what has happened to others too. She writes, " I remember one woman said to me, 'You know, when I first began my relationship with the Lord, I had the most wonderful times in prayer. I would just talk to God so easily and we would fellowship and enjoy each other. But after a while I got some teaching. I started learning how to regiment my prayer life and put all the different kinds of prayer in little boxes so everything could be all neat and tidy. When I did that, I lost the joy of communion with God and I began to pray less and less. Finally, I just decided to go back to that relationship I had with Him in the beginning.'

I would not want that to happen for you either. Sometimes we get caught up in how to pray, and it becomes more "mechanical" rather than a sharing of our heart with God. But on the other hand, there are things to learn about prayer. Who wants to pray and pray and get no answers? That is no fun.

These are good questions that you have, and I am enjoying the process of examining my own walk with God when I go to answer your questions! God can not be put into a box. But I know that what is most important is what is in your heart. He responds to the cries of our hearts.