Teach Me to Pray

I was going through my mom's books and I found a devotional that had a prayer written by Mary L. Kupferle entitled, “Teach Me to Pray”. It's beautiful and thought it was worth sharing.

Dear God, teach me to pray.

So often I seek a quick awareness of Your presence and Your help and wish it could be so complete that only one moment would be all it takes to know, really know, that all is well. How often Jesus drew apart from crowds and activities and was renewed by Your love. He went again and again into the mountains, completely apart from all others, to be alone, think alone, and talk alone with You.

Help me be willing now to take time to be alone awhile, seek solitude – even if it means giving up an extra hour of sleep or a personal pleasure I think I must have. Show me how to draw apart daily, not only physically, but mentally and emotionally, from every tie and bond that seeks to hold me too close. Help me understand that I can free myself from all attachments in this quiet time until I am alone, with no distractions within or without, and I can give my all to You.

Thank You for showing me how to then become even more still, to wait and wait in obedience, to release each passing thought to Your presence and Your power and keep the channels open until the stream of Your mind enters into mine. Thank You for helping me be patient with my roaming, roving mind and emotions until I truly drop into the realm of silence where no outer sound disturbs, though it is heard; where nothing matters by my rapt attention to my soul's inner Teacher, who will appear. This gentle presence is the Holy Spirit, will make itself known when I am ready, silent enough to hear whatever voice it uses to bring a message, an instruction, or a word.

Thank You for helping me be content when nothing happens as I think it should and happy with just stillness and quietness and a deeper rooting of my soul in peace. Thank You for showing me daily how to practice obedience to the call of prayer, be restful in Your love, wait in faith, trust and know that You are good and that You are all there really is.

God, help me know that prayer is the way to finding every answer throughout life, that You are ever calling me to come and take the good You wish to give in quietness. Thank You, God, for teaching me each day the blessedness of prayer, the art of sweet communion with my good.

Thank You God, for teaching me to pray.

Thank You God, for everything.

HAVE A BLESSED DAY!