What is Prayer?

How do you use prayer? To gripe? To praise? To lament? To analyze? To comfort? To connect?

Is it all of the above?

Prayer in a secular dictionary is defined as this: “an earnest hope or wish, a solemn request for help or an expression of thanks offered to God or an object of worship.”

That last part bothered me a little. It suggests I might pray to an object of worship? What is that? My prayers go straight to God. Period. I feel his presence when I pray. I feel the nuance of conversation when I pray. Prayer brings me comfort and peace. Prayer makes me feel like I can actually DO something when there is often nothing to do, BUT pray because a situation is so dire, frightening or devastating.

I pray for others–even as they are unaware.

I pray for the world–even as that seems daunting.

I pray for myself–even as I do not know what to say at times.

I pray to praise–even as I may sometimes be blind to God’s immeasurable blessings.

I pray to connect to my almighty God who desires me to do so.

AMEN!