Day 34: Attitude of Gratitude

Ever talked to someone on the phone who won't let you get a word in edgewise? And they are going on and on about the same things you have heard a thousand times before and you could literally put the phone down, walk away for five minutes only to come back and reassure with some 'mmhmms' and 'oh reallys'? The ones you roll your eyes at when you see the caller ID. . .
Yea, them.

That was me when it came to my prayers.

'dear heavenly father,
thank thee for this, thank thee for that
please give me this, i am a total brat!
amen'

I say that was me.
Curious how sincere and genuine my expressions to Heavenly Father became when I recognized my dependence upon Him. Sad that I haven't always recognized how desperately I need Him.
Prayer should be an opportunity to commune with God, not commentate on ourselves.
Commune means to communicate intimately. Intimate interaction would require a certain level of familiarity to my way of thinking, and I think that is impossible to achieve if you don't really know who it is you are communicating with.
And it is funny, I used to concentrate so much on the verbage and structure of my prayers. Now, I've seen that when I honestly try to communicate that that stuff comes naturally out of respect to Him whom I am addressing.
I'm not even hitting the tip of the iceberg yet, but understanding this much has made my prayers a much more meaningful experience. There isn't a rush, and it isn't one more spiritual chore to check off the list.
I want to pray.

I never have to be alone in my hospital room. There's always someone to talk with.
I am grateful for that.