Prayer is Simple

Prayer is simple. We tend to make it complicated. Wendy Beckett in The Mystery of Love: Saints in Art through the Centuries(HarperSanFrancisco, 1996) says that "the essential act of prayer is to stand unprotected before God. What will God do? He will take possession of us. That he should do this is the whole purpose of life.

"What do you want? If you really want God to take possession of you, then you are praying.
If you desire to stand surrendered before God, then you are standing there; it needs absolutely nothing else. Prayer is the last thing we should become discouraged about. It concerns nobody except God--always longing only to give himself to us in love--and my own decision. And that, too, is God's . . .

Prayer must have time as it demands the whole of us. We need just be there, open, exposed, inviting God to do all that God wants. Prayer is not our activity, our getting in touch with God, our making ourselves desirable to God. We can do none of these things, nor do we need to, for God is there ready to do everything for us, loving us unconditionally." (This is taken from the Introduction and it would be worth buying the book just for Wendy's Introduction!

I may know this in theory, but how about in practice? Jesus said, "I am the Way, the Truth, and the Life; no one comes to the Father but by me." We ask and let Jesus lead us to the Father. Surrender and let God love you. He really wants to love you, if you allow Him.