Praying, or Gone Fishing?
--image from jacksonfish.com Am I praying from a knowledge of God's presence and care, or am I just fishing for my hopes and dreams on the lake of life? Am I intentional, or am I hoping to get lucky? Am I still struggling with asking for my will or for God's will? Do I have the suspicion that God's will is something painful, unpleasant, or endlessly difficult? Do I really believe God's will offers joy, a fulfillment of my talents, energy to love others and express myself freely in the world? Do I believe God is personally and directly concerned about me and acting on my behalf? Honest openness in prayer forces me to repeat these questions until I can acknowledge a truthful answer. As long as I believe God's will is something that brings mostly pain and drudgery, I will never seek it with all of my heart. I will always make an excuse for settling for something else. I will always think less of God and more of myself. When I don't get what I want, I will tend to s...