Prayer…what's the point???

Prayer. Reality?! I am just now trying to figure out what is the point of prayer. I have read a few books on prayer and have found myself walking away with ideas and yet totally disconnected. LIke, "…thats nice, it worked for them… but…that kinda stuff doesn't happen to me". I mean, I don't have a laundry list of answered prayers. At least not yet...

A few months ago, I thought I would give prayer a real try. Haha. That just sounds ridiculous  when I write it out! I mean, I ask for prayer. I even pray for people… daily. But, I have always thought of prayer as more of an insurance policy. Like a just-in-case net that I put under my efforts and my abilities and my strength. Even knowing some of the promises in the bible about prayer, I still wasn't "sold". Honestly. I wasn't. 

But, I went for it anyway. I started to pray for things that were humanly impossible for me to manipulate in my flesh… praying for favor over people I had never met… praying for open doors that had previously had 19382 dead bolts on them… praying for blessings that I didn't deserve and had no part in… joining friends over financial provision… just going for it. And,  one night a few weeks ago I heard the Lord whisper...

"…true prayer is the walking out of humility-- practically, prayer is taking your hands off, admitting you don't know and giving it to me. "

Well, I tucked that away in my back pocket…and it really encouraged me to journey onward.  As I prayed in my car, in the elevator at work and other random places, I realized that the my prayers were so "stapely". (Is that even a word??!!). They were cookie cutter. Ugh. 

I admitted to God that although I was sold on the humility part of prayer, I didn't know what to say. People always told me "prayer is just talking to God".  But the way I was talking to God felt so boring! So, God showed me that praying for people meant doing it from their perspective. And, that praying for myself was about stepping outside of my own life and identifying the needful thing.  So.. 

...instead of praying "heal sweet Rals" when Wendy shared she was sick… I started to try and pray for the needful thing.  Like,  "give Wendy grace and patience with how to get Rals to eat her lunch… oh, and a longer nap today to give mama a break"… 

…instead of just asking God for favor and open doors, I started to pray specifically about who I desired favor with and why.

And now…. FINALLY, I have a few things to add to my list of answered prayers! Friends with new jobs, a miracle pregnancy, lost bible in the mail was found and open doors of crazy favor in my life! 

Will I ever understand prayer??!! I don't really think so. But, as one of the VP's at my job said last week during devotions… "I can't fully comprehend the mysteries of prayer.  But I do know that the bible says to pray… and that, we can and should do". 

And that, is what I can and will do. And today, I can actually add a few more things and start my "prayers answered laundry list"... 

Join me, would ya?!

Sincerely, 
Nandi