I overheard the following conversation today:

“Just be thinking of me… Are you a praying person?”
“When I have to be.”
“Yeah, I don’t like to pray for little things. Just big things.”
“It’s unnecessary.”
“Right. I agree. It doesn’t change anything. It’s a survival thing.”

Guys, this broke my heart – mostly because it resonated deep down. My conversations with God sometimes turn into wish lists. And that’s embarrassing.

God is not sitting on pins and needles waiting for us to ask Him for things we want or need. If that’s your concept of God and His entire existence, you’re missing out, you’re mistaken, you’re wrong. Yes he cares about your needs and wants you to lean on Him. Of course he does. But he’s more than a magic eight ball or a psychic. He’s a living God who wants nothing more than to have a relationship with you.

I’ve been high up on the mountain, so to speak, in life. I’ve also been in the valley, and I’m sure I’ll be there again. God has been there every single time – whether I’ve acknowledged His presence or not. He’s not just listening in on your life waiting to answer your request for a new car, a new job, or a negative test result. He wants to be in your every moment every day. Your relationship with God should be more than a prayer request or even a praise. It should affect the way you live. He wants to be there when you parent your children, when you work, and when you make daily decisions. He wants to serve your community through you. He wants to be in daily communion with you.

Sometimes (as in – hardly ever do I calm down enough to actually do this) when I am at the end of my rope, I pray and I don’t ask God for a single thing. I list as many things as I can think of to thank Him for what he’s done in my life. I praise His name. I refrain from sharing anything heavy on my heart. You know why? He already knows my heart. He doesn’t need me to list off a wish list. I’m not even sure I can explain why or how this is a comforting prayer to pray, but it is. Maybe it’s because I don’t feel like I’m taking and exhausting more energy. Maybe it’s because it’s about a relationship with an all-powerful, all-knowing, and loving God and not an episode of “I Dream of Genie.”