Hurting for a Prayer

So I was thinking about prayer and how at times it seems stronger than others. So I had to sit down and think…”What is it that as separated my prayers in the past from the prayers I now pray?”
Answers began to pour into my small mind. I remember a time when sin was a big part of my life and I lived in it knowingly and did nothing to change it. Night after night I would I would prayer for to be forgiven for the same sins because I committed them over and over and over again. I felt so unworthy to pray. So after a while my prayer life was a crash scene of confusion. “I don’t know what to do..” I would pray. But I always knew then that my answer was to simply stop doing the sins that were making me feel like God hated to hear me coming. It was that simple. Yes I on occasion sin those same sins. The difference is that I do not do them and then say “Oh well I can pray for them tonight and they will be fine.” God hates sin. It separates us from God. God hears the prayers of the holy and to be in sin and not try to stop is going to take the power of our prayers down to little or nothing.
The next problem I thought of was when I started to pray I would not feel like God was really listening because I didn’t know how to pray right.
I prayed anyway. I forced myself at times to go before God and give plea my needs and those of others out to Him. After a while I was asked to lead prayer in the middle of the pod. It wasn’t long before big words were getting used in my prayer and others were praying aloud in agreement with me. I went to bed one night and before I went to sleep I had a friend tell me that I needed to be careful not take glory from my prayers. Others were counting on me to pray for and with them. I thought about what he had said and that night I tossed and turned. I saw myself in my mind standing before the pod and and praying loudly and using five dollar words.Then it hit me! God doesn’t care about those things. I did! I had to ask the leaders of the church to find some one else to pray before the people. My prayers were not to God but to praise myself. To this day hold back what I say when I pray aloud and that keeps me from getting caught up in pride. I love the spotlight. I have to work to put God first if I want to be able to pray with power. I am not able at this time to pray aloud like the Spirit tells me I can because I am vain. Limit your exposure and give it to God for prayers that move mountains.
The last thing I thought of was alot like the second problem. I just didn’t pray. I would be asked to pray for some and agree. I always intended to pray for them but never seemed to remember when I was on my face. Pray for them ,pray with them. Pray at all times of the day. you don’t have to let others see it you don’t have to disappear. Pray as you walk. Pray as you sit. Pray as you drive. Pray whenever you can. Watch you prayer life grow.
Prayer is like working out in the gym. You will start out small but with alot of reps you will soon get strong in what to pray for. You will be able to pray long and with more passion towards God then you ever knew you was capable of. Praying is talking to God. So sometimes after or before you pray get in word. Or just be still and don’t talk and focus on God. Listen for His voice. Prayer is only hurt when we fall short.