Experiencing Prayer.

I was walking along the storefronts of Traverse City yesterday, when this colorful canvas in the window of an art shop caught my eye. I paused, walked right up to the window, and was instantly mesmerized by this piece of creative work. This photo shows the bottom part of the piece, which was painted in hues of yellow, orange and red, and included the following quote. Read it slowly, and really savor each word:

Prayer is like that, she whispered.
Sometimes, it can take days...........
................months...........years.

And then, sometimes.....she paused.
When I get really quiet,
I ask...........and then I listen.
And I can see............
...............hear..............
............................feel....................
the answer all at the same time.

Isn't that how the nature of prayer is, when we get right down to it? Sometimes, we pray and pray from the depths of our hearts, and it seems that the answer never comes. At least not in the time that we expect and sometimes demand. Other times, it seems that we know the answer even before we utter the words in prayer. To be really honest here, I go in spurts when it comes to my prayer life. Sometimes, I pray only for the urgent need. Other times, I am better and more disciplined in "praying without ceasing" throughout my day, in maintaining an ongoing, constant dialogue with my Savior and Creator. It's funny.......we talk all the time about how important clear and honest communication is for a relationships; yet, we don't always apply that wisdom in our relationship with God, at least I don't. Sometimes, I find myself thinking "Well, why do I need to pray, when God already knows what I need and what I am thinking?" I believe that the very act of praying is a constant picture of our complete dependence on Him; does God need us to prayer to know our heart? NO. Does God need us to pray to know the needs of others for whom we pray? NO. But, God yearns for the time with us. He is a jealous God who wants us for Himself.....our time, our thoughts, our heart. And praying is a picture of us yielding, depending, throwing ourselves at the feed of Jesus because we can't do it on our own. And the Bible tells us the sweet truth......God wants to give us the desires of our hearts. He wants to. He doesn't want to deprive us of His richest blessings. On the contrary, He wants to pour them over us to overflowing.

The price of this piece of art pictured here? A mere $1200.00, and the canvas is yours. So while I won't be owning a piece of art like this anytime soon---and probably never in this lifetime, for that matter--I know that prayer, the act of communing and yielding to the Holy Spirit--is much more priceless. And that is a daily and minute-by-minute investment that will last an eternity.