"Pray without ceasing."
- I Thessalonians 5:17

Does this five-year-old's statement hold true for you and I?

He was talking with his friend one day and they began to talk about God.  His friend asked him several questions about God and the five-year-old gave him the perfect answers that he had learned in Sunday School.

Shortly into the conversation, their topic turned to prayer.  The five-year-old explained to his friend that prayer was talking with God, and that he usually made his prayers at bedtime before he went to sleep.

His friend grew wide-eyed and said, "Really?!  You mean you actually talk to God?"

"Of course," the five-year-old said.  "God lets me talk to Him anytime I want to."

"Do you pray every night?" the friend asked.

"Oh no," the five-year-old replied.  "Some nights I don't want anything."

Does this five-year-old's statement hold true for you and I?

I wonder, how many Christians find themselves only praying to the Lord when they have something that they want.  How about you and I?  Do we find our prayer life revolving around needs in our lives?

Now, don't get me wrong.  There is nothing wrong with bringing our burdens to the Lord.  In fact, the Bible tells us that we ARE to "cast our cares upon" Him.  But, prayer isn't just handing God our want list and bidding Him adieu.  Prayer isn't just holding our hands out and saying, "God this is what I need, would you give it to me please?"

It's also holding our hearts out.

Holding our hearts out in praise and thanksgiving.  Simply adoring our Savior and worshipping Him.  Praising Him for who He is.  Thanking Him for all He does for us.

Holding our hearts out in obedience.  Seeking His will for our lives.  Surrendering ourselves to His instructions.  Yielding our wills to His.

Holding our hearts out in confession.  Asking for forgiveness for our sins.  Acknowledging our wrongdoings and faults.  Repenting of the things in our lives that are against the Lord's will.

Holding our hearts out in dependence.  Confessing to the Lord that we are weak and in total dependence upon Him.  Glorifying Him as the sole provider of our lives.  Telling Him again and again that we need Him and couldn't get by without Him.

See what I mean?  Prayer isn't just holding our hands out when we find ourselves in a bind.  It's also holding our hearts out simply because we love the Lord.

Yes, God wants us to share our burdens and struggles and needs.  But, He also wants us to come to Him with our praise and thanksgiving and adoration.  With our confession and repentance.  With our obedience and submission.  With our acknowledgement of Him.

Will you pray this morning, Christian?  Not because you "want something" from God...

...but because you want to "give something" to God?

What are you holding out this morning?  Your hand our your heart?