Story of Faith by Jim Zastrow

When was it that I learned to pray? Thinking back over the decades, the lessons came from many sources. It was my mother kneeling with me at my bedside reciting the prayer “Now I lay me down to sleep.” It was my Sunday School teacher who taught me to pray the Lord’s Prayer. It was praying with my spouse to be worthy parents prior to the adoption of our first child. My faith has been strengthened by the loving guidance that Jesus gave to us regarding prayer in his Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 6.

Jesus spent a significant portion of his sermon addressing the subject of prayer and taught his disciples how to pray the prayer we know so well – the Lord’s Prayer. I have learned that just as important as what to pray is how. Jesus’ direction in prayer is more how not to do it: not like the hypocrites who made sure that others knew they were praying. I have learned not to draw attention to what I am doing. God knows and that’s all that matters. Striving for perfection in my prayers doesn’t matter. God knows.

Maybe following Jesus’ instructions in how to pray leads me most naturally in what to pray.

Holy One, receive our prayers as we trust you always do, even the ones of our hearts that never make it to our lips.  Amen.