Good Morning

Just some words on prayer this morning (from Grace for Each Hour by Mary J Nelson)

• When we pray, we often ask for the wrong things, ask with the wrong motives, or we don't ask at all.  And then we wonder why He's silent (James 4:2-3)
• All you need is a humble heart and sincere faith to seek God in prayer.  Give PRAISE because He is an awsome God; CONFESS your brokenness and your need for Him; ASK because He is the giver of all good things.  Pray to the Father, in the name of His Son, in the power of the Spirit.  Ask God to change your desires so they line up perfectly with His will (1 John 3:21-22)
• Ask and expect to receive.  He hears you knocking, and He always opens the door.

And from another reading in the same book:

• James 5:14-15 Are any among you sick?  They should call for the elders of the church and have them pray over them, anointing them with oil in the name of the Lord.  And their prayer offered in faith will heal the sick, and the Lord will make them well.  And anyone who has committed sins will be forgiven.
• All too often, instead of gathering around and praying over us as the Word commands, friends quietly tell us we're in their prayers.  And at church, our prayer requests often slip discreetly into the hands of strangers on a prayer chain.  It's just more comfortable that way... no less effective, just more comfortable. 

That was convicting to me.  I'm not a person that is comfortable praying out loud, I'm quick to say a prayer by myself, but to pray out loud for someone, in front of them is way outside my comfort zone.  I need to work on that.