Be Yourself In Prayer 

   God knows us better than we know ourselves.  It does us no good to repeat prayers over and over when what truly needs to be addressed is left unsaid.  Especially when in prayer we must remember, “For there is nothing hidden that will not become visible, and nothing secret that will not be known and come to light.” (Luke 8: 17).  Before we ever begin to pray God knows what we really need to be asking of Him.  He also knows those things for which we desperately need His forgiveness.

   “In the same way, the Spirit too comes to the aid of our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we ought, but the Spirit itself intercedes with inexpressible groanings.” (Roman 8: 26).  The Holy Spirit was sent to guide and aid us in our search for God and to help us stay on the path He has put before us.  When prayer is difficult and we can’t find the words, the Spirit prays for us.  In the silence of our heart He speaks for us when we can’t speak for ourselves.

   Praying is quite probably the most personal thing we will ever do.  We hide things from others that might embarrass us, but we can’t hide them from God.  We sometimes try to justify our tepidness in faith, but the Lord of heaven knows our deepest secrets.

   We must seek God on His terms and those terms include honesty, faith, and humility.  In prayer we must see God as who He truly is, Love.  Nothing is so bad that He won’t forgive, His mercy is endless.  Approach Him as who you are, not who others may want you to be or who you know you are not. 

In prayer I seek You.

In humility I come to You.

Look deeply into me.

Heal me of my failings. 

Amen