Real Prayer vs. Superstition

"You take no pleasure in sacrifice; were I to give a burnt offering, you would not delight in it. O God, my sacrifice is a broken spirit; a contrite heart you will not despise." - Psalm 51:18-19

Have you ever been guilted into going to church or praying out of fear something bad will happen to you or someone you love? Have you ever sent along a forwarded religious email because it tells you to prove you love Jesus by sending it to 13 people? Or, have you ever negotiated with God - "if You do this for me, I'll go to church every day, I promise!" How have these things worked out for you? Not very well, huh? That's because these things are more along the lines of superstition, manipulating circumstances for our own needs, while God is about faith, trust, humility. God can see through our superficial motives. There's nothing you can ask Him or offer Him or do for Him that will please Him if your heart isn't in the right place. That's not to say that things like praying and fasting don't work… they do, it's only that when used in the right way, these tools help us become open to God's plans for us, not our plans for God. We need to always remember that God loves us, no matter what. God is always on our side, no matter what, and He will always want what's best for us. No forwarded email or any other such thing will change that or stop Him from blessing us.

The next time you want to prove your love for Jesus, spend some quiet time praying and talking with Him. When you need something from Jesus, try telling Him sincerely how much it would mean to you. These techniques will help you get to know God better and what's best for you.

Today's Prayer:
Father, I forget that I'm the one who needs to change and not You. If something isn't good for me, I can't control You into getting You to give me what I want. Instead, show me how to change, how to adapt to Your will. Show me You know better than I ever will. In Jesus' Name we pray, amen.