persistent praying ...

I'm learning I'm not so good at praying.  I mean ... I think I have gone through stages and phases in prayer.  It used to be pretty structured.  You know, the ACTS of prayer: adoration, confession, thanksgiving, supplication.  I used to keep lists of prayer requests and pray for certain people each day.  Now I feel like I'm a little more like bird shot ... pinging a prayer here and a prayer there.  Starting each day with some thanksgiving and some requests ... but not really fully engaging what prayer IS and CAN BE!  And never being still really long enough to listen.

I've been reading a book by Margaret Feinberg called The Sacred Echo ... and I recommend it by the way.  It's really helping me rethink prayer.  It's not anything new ... but it's reminding me of what I know.

I'm really not such a persistent person.  I kind of have this rule of two - I will ask twice, but never any more.  I just am really not such a good asker and I definitely don't want to be a pest.  I think some of that spills over into my prayer life.  I ask.  I ask again.  Then I don't really bring it up again .... at least for a while.  I've found that I am a better asker if it is for other people.  Well, at least when it comes to praying.  But sometimes, I just get bogged down in the thought that God's gonna do what God's gonna do and my prayers aren't going to change that.  Except I know that's not true.  Scripture tells me it's not true.  As a matter of fact, the persistent widow is held up as an example for us to follow in praying. 

In her book, Margaret says ...
I am beginning to beleive that the real beauty of prayer is not just in the request but in the repetition.  It's almost as if something sacred happens in the echo of our prayers.  Through prayer we become part of the greater story - the story of what God is doing in our lives, our families, our communities, and around the world.

I talked to a dear friend tonight ... and we talked about this persistent praying thing ... and we are finally seeing fruit of many years of prayers in one direction ... crazy how where the day starts is where the day ends ... one in a book and one in real life ... reminding me that God desires that we keep asking and keep asking and keep asking.  Maybe it's time to break my rule of 2.