I’m a pastor, someone who is often called on, without warning, to pray aloud for groups. Shouldn’t I always love it and feel comfortable with it? I don’t think so. I hope to always have a little holy trepidation when it comes to prayer. Prayer matters. Prayer is holy work. And so are the awkwardness and anxiety that often accompany it.
Yet, God wants to connect with each of us intimately and personally. God is always ready to listen and encourage. God loves it when we call, when we say thank you, when we listen, when we ask for guidance, and when we notice and name the sorrows and needs of the world around us.
God hears us when we express righteous outrage over injustice, when we appreciate the beauty of creation, when we revel in the gift of human community, and when we let ourselves bask in how precious and loved we truly are. At the heart of prayer is God’s love.
This message is excerpted from “I don’t have a prayer!” by Libby Howe in the June 2021 Gather magazine.
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