Thursday, March 17, 2011

A 2008 St. Patrick's Day Prayer, and a question

I've got a question about daily prayer: Do you pray every day? Why or why not? Now a confession: My prayers are mostly over meals these days. But I looked back in a journal and found this entry from Monday, March 17, 2008 at 7:05 a.m.:

"Happy St. Patrick’s Day! I slept pretty well last night. Getting to bed a little before midnight, I think. I could remember a couple of dreams. They were dreams about some kind of certification. In one instance I had it and in the other I didn’t. They were about the same on the surface, but the certified route was happier."

Then I had recorded this written prayer:

"Dear Father in Heaven, I’m grateful for a good night’s rest. I’m grateful to be alive and well. I’m grateful for loved-ones, both families and friends. I’m grateful to suspect that I have loved-ones both known and unknown to me. Thanks be to you for all of them. Please bless me this day that I might do some good in the world today, that I might help someone in need, cheer up the sad and make someone feel glad. That I might see a way to lift a burden and do it. That I might wake up to such possibilities. Please help me to be strong and to bless my life and others. Help me in my work, in my thinking and doing and organizing. Bless me in all my relationships. Bless me with thy spirit. May I feel the comforter and take direction from Him, which is of course, taking direction from thee and the Savior. Bless me that I might have revelation to guide and encourage me this day, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."

I gotta confess, I don't pray like that these days. Maybe I need to again. What do you think?

1 comment:

  1. I've known you to pray like this. I have felt and heard your prayers. So, why do you not pray like this anymore? What has changed? Why have you stopped?

    I admit I've gone through periods of casual relations with prayer. But recently, I had a powerful incident that still hits me that a simple prayer was powerfully answered and in a very personal and significant way.

    So, recognizing this... Why, then, do I allow myself to slip back into a casual relationship with God?

    Is it the nature of man to pray for that rescue as we are falling, then grab hold of that tree limb on the way down, and then instead of recognizing his hand and gratitude for his rescue, we say... "never mind" as we grasp on ourselves?

    Is it more our constant doubts that get the better of us and we rationalize the "answers" away that we do receive, for logically who would really expect such a personal rapport with deity?

    I am grateful for your personal spirit of gratitude. You are an example of gentleness and goodness in seeing the good around you in all things. Thank you.

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