Lifting hands to heaven

When I pray sometimes I catch myself going through a formula to determine how effective my prayer will be:

• Have I been obedient for at least 48 hours?
• Length of prayer is directly proportional to its effectiveness.
• Fasting will really increase my chances for a favorable outcome to my petition.

It is funny how I think I can twist God’s arm by doing these things. Don’t get me wrong these spiritual disciplines are good to do, but they are not meant to leverage God––to get Him to do what we want. Instead they are disciplines that get us to a place of humility and dependence upon God.

I propose a different checklist to go through as you approach God with a request:

• Does God’s love reach to the heaven’s and endure forever?  Psalm 36:5 √
• Is His compassion new this morning?  Lamentations 3:22-23 √
• Is God faithful in all that He does?  1 Corinthians 1:9 √

I must remember prayer is all about God, and not about me.