Ever feel like your prayers are bouncing off the ceiling faster than you can say the words? I do. Sometimes my times of prayer are tiny glimpses of Heaven. When I get up from my chair, I know I've been with my Savior. He filled me up. Other times, I wonder if God put me on hold while he was taking other calls.
Don't get me wrong. Theologically, I know that God always hears my prayers and always answers them. I can quote any number of verses to back that up. But what I know in my head and what I feel in my heart do not always match.
The Christmas season can be an especially erratic time for prayer. Sometimes, worship during this season is intense. When I find the time .. make the time ... to focus on the miracle of Christ's birth, I'm overwhelmed by God's grace and creativity. The bread of life (Jesus) being born in the City of Bread (Bethlehem). The birth of the lamb of God announced to a group of shepherds. A star. A virgin. A group of traveling wise men. Only God could orchestrate all of that. And for what purpose? So that God could show his love up close and personal. Wow!
But then, there's all the other stuff. Shopping and shipping. Baking and budgeting. Getting off schedule and out of control. Even songs can hurt. This week at ensemble practice, I got choked up while singing "Away in a Manger." It conjured up images of my family singing around my grandmother's Christmas tree, a moment that will never again be recreated. My grandmother went to Heaven this year. Her precious kitchen sits vacant. No tree adorns the living room. The house is up for sale.
So, what's the answer? Keep praying, but don't try too hard to be religious while you're at it. As Peter Lundell says in his book Prayer Power, "The Bible never teaches us to pray politely...We may offend him with our sin, but never with our boldness." (p166)
Yes, sing about the Little Town of Bethlehem, but remember the Christ Child is no longer in the manger. He can handle your deepest hurts and greatest disappointments. Don't send God your Hallmark prayers. This Christmas give him the darkest part of your heart.
He'll send you a new one. It will be all wrapped up and placed under the tree. The Easter tree that is, the one shaped like a cross. After all, that's why he came in the first place.
Gettin' Real!
Melodie
PS This is the fifth installment in my Prayer Power series. You can still win a copy of Peter Lundell's book Prayer Power by commenting on this or any other entry about prayer. There will be one more installment in this series.
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