Real Prayer

Open the eyes of my heart, Lord......

In prayer today, my brain was like a Sunbeam mixmaster. My mind full of stuff on my list. My agenda. In a few days I am leaving on a jet plane. I need to ship a box to California, I need to go to Walmart. I haven't even showered yet. I feel time slipping by.......

I sat in prayer trying to quiet my mind and asked myself......."Why am I here?" I needed to ask it of myself, because sometimes it seems even my prayer time is all about me, and I don't want it to be. The answer that landed at the bottom of my pile of thoughts was:

I pray because I want to spend time with God, and I miss Him when I don't.

Here is a prayer I read in Kathleen Beard's wonderful book, Into the Mist that brought me up short, really short:

My Lord, I have mistreated You all my Christian life. I have treated you like a servant. When I wanted You I called for You; when I was about to engage in some work I beckoned You to come and help me perform my task. I have kept You in the place of a servant. I have sought to use You only as a willing servant to help me in my self-appointed and chosen work. I shall do so no more.

Just now I give You this body of mine; from my head to my feet, I give it to You. I give You my hands, my limbs, my eyes and lips, my brain; all that I am within and without, I hand over to You for You to live in it the life that You please. You may send this body to Africa, or lay it on a sick bed with cancer. You may blind the eyes, or send me with Your message to Tibet.

You may take this body to the Eskimos, or send it to a hospital with pneumonia. It is Your body from this moment on. Help Yourself to it. Thank you, my Lord. I believe You have accepted it for in Romans twelve and one you said, "acceptable unto God." Thank You again, my Lord, for taking me. We now belong to each other.

Raymond V. Edman

They Found the Secret

I can't help but wonder how my life would change if I only had the courage to say that prayer and mean it. This prayer humbles me beyond words.