Know what I love about this verse? It's to the point.
I was in the first or second grade Sunday School class at church when our teacher, Barb, decided we all needed to learn how to pray.
Out loud.
Enter my first panic attacks. I had never prayed in front of anyone other than my family, and my class was comprised mostly of giggly girls who may or may not have had much Godly influence once they left the walls of the church. Praying out loud was essentially an invitation to be made fun of...to trip over words...to be thought silly for the method used.
I dreaded my week to pray and always rushed through my prayers as quickly as I could.
As I got older, I prayed out loud in front of others more often...and I became more comfortable with it, but now and then I still find myself in situations where I panic when it's time to pray. I worry that those listening {note: not God. People.} will judge me for how long I take...or don't take...and for how I word things. How eloquent I sound.
And that's why I love this verse. It's my reminder that God doesn't expect polished speeches. This prayer is short and powerful.
Come quickly to help me.
No long explanations. No four syllable words. {Or even three!} Just a heartfelt urgent request for help.
And while people may judge our praying style, Jesus does not. He loves a prayer like this one. It's sent right from our heart to His.
So grateful for the invitation to be pointed and honest in prayer. To be urgent.
And to know I'm heard.
3 comments:
I need to remember this verse when I am called upon to pray out loud. I am soooooo uncomfortable doing so. It's torture.
PS. But you are right. Are we praying out loud TO God or FOR people? God doesn't care how eloquent we are, He just wants us to talk with Him.
Natasha - it took me FOREVER to get comfortable with it. And there are still places where I can't do it because of feeling so scared...ironically work is one of them! But you hit it on the head - it's TO God, not TO people.
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