Is it your desire to praise God?  Do you have this deep longing to go to God in prayer just to praise Him?  Like the Psalmist do you want to praise God for who God is, for His majesty, His sovereignty, His creation and His power?

Is it your desire to confess your sinfulness to God?  Are you overwhelmed by guilt?  Do your sins strip you of abundant life?  Do you feel you are carrying a heavy burden and you sincerely want God to create a new and right spirit with in?

Is it your desire to say thank you, God?  Is your heart bursting with gratitude for the richness of God blessings that He has liberally poured out upon you?

Is it your desire to intercede on behalf of a loved one or friend?  Is your heart heavy because some one close to you is going through a difficult time, is walking through the valley of grief, is struggling with a serious illness and you just want to lift this person or situation up to God?

Is it your desire that God supply you and satisfy your wants and needs?  Is your life in a funk?  Does it seem that every morning you get out on the wrong side of the bed?

It seems that most people are inspired to pray to God when they find themselves in the midst of trials, tragedies and temptations.  Desperate times require desperate measures, so we pray.

Have you ever prayed to God and found your life or situation seemed to fall part even more.  Nothing seemed to go as you expected.  As a matter of fact your life and situation seemed to be even more out of control then before you prayed.

You turn to God and pray more fervently.  This time you tell God how He should answer your prayers.  This time maybe you even scold God for failing you or not doing as you prayed He would.  This time you begin to direct God or a least advise God how He should act.  When you pray you try to play God, to influence God to act on your behave.

One of the first truths you and I must learn when we pray is that you and I are not God.

Chances are we have never thought of ourselves as being God but the truth of the matter can be found in the way we pray.  Ron Susek stated, “You were born with satan’s garden lie,

“You will be as God.”

woven into the fabric of your nature.

The depth to which the lie is still alive is seen in the intensity of the wrestling of your heart.  Do you attack whatever attacks you rather than trust God’s sovereign plan to expose and slay the lie.

This sounds ridiculous but stop and think about it.  We justify our actions and behavior in spite of the fact that they are not consistent with scripture.

Missing church, not reading the Bible, neglecting the spiritual disciplines of worship, scripture, prayer, fasting, submission, solitude, simplicity, service, confession, celebration, the playing of violent video games, listening to rap music, consistent choosing of other activities, life styles, and behaviors.

Consistently we choose what we want and expect God to stand guard and wait for our cry for His help.  How often are your prayers and your decisions inspired by Jesus’ prayer in the garden of Gethsemane,

“Not my will, but Your be done.”

Mistakenly this prayer is seen as a prayer of surrender. This is not true.  When Jesus prayed this prayer in the garden of Gethsemane he was not waving a white flag of surrender.  He was instead, actively committing Himself to go from the garden to the cross.

He was choosing to do life God’s way.  How willing are you to commit your Gethsemane’s and your crosses to God’s will?  How willing are you to pray,

“Not my will, but Your will be done,”

even when God’s will does not agree with your will.

What is your Gethsemane or cross?

What areas of your life are you choosing to do life your way over God’s way?

Finances, relationships, priorities?  Are you willing to live life God’s way even though everything within you is looking for a way to rewrite the script?

Are you willing to stop fighting God?  Are you willing to let God’s wisdom act as a bridle directing prayer.  Prayer really does work.  The same God, who either caused or allowed your world to fall apart, pieces it together again. This you can be assured is God’s will for you and me.

What inspires you to pray?

May it be a sincere and heart filled desire for God’s will to be done, not your own.