(a 6 minute read) Renee was fascinated with her 7 year old son Rory. He was asking for an ice cream cone as they were walking thru the mall. Rory became insistent, as children do, stomping his feet to the ground, “but mom, I’ve been so good listening lately, please, please, can I have an ice cream cone?”

Renee reached that point of embarrassment; “Rory, if you do not stop this, I am walking away and will leave you standing here.” Rory, like every child, thought to himself, “Sure. Ya. Like you’d leave your child alone in public.”

Rory still standing in front of the ice cream shop threw a crying fit and loudly continued to beg his mom for an ice cream cone; “Please mommy, please. I have been so good lately. I want an ice cream cone.”

Renee was not going to give into Rory’s fit, so she turned around and started walking away from Rory. Of course, as it always happens, within less than 10 steps away, Rory had wiped his tears, started running towards his mom. As he approached, he saw her hand extended out without looking back. Rory grabbed onto her hand. If you saw Rory at this moment, it was as if nothing has happened a moment or two ago. Renee lovingly said; “My dear Rory, isn’t it better walking hand in hand than going through this episode. I know you always want ice cream. Sometimes I will offer it to you. If I don’t offer it then we just move on together hand in hand.”

Think about how we petition our Lord for things for us and for others. Petition is a kinder word for ‘begging’. How often am I begging my Creator for things for me? Things that I want or things I want for others? Sometimes even things I feel ‘entitled’ to?

You may be offended that I am portraying prayer as begging, but please take a moment to examine the requests we present to the Father! Prayer is awesome, but begging is for children. Sadly we teach our children that the way to the Lord is through asking for things. We may call it ‘protection’ or ‘healing’ or ‘doing good in a sport or talent’ etc. But if we are honest with ourselves, it is all like a child begging for an ice cream cone.

To stop begging is breaking from tradition, culture and beliefs that have been there for eons. Quite hard to do, very difficult to do. Better than very difficult; it is demanding, tough, challenging, sometimes grim and threatening. But if you are ready to call a spade a spade, then it is decision time; take on this challenging, grim and demanding task; CHANGE.

To offer a suggestion that is as old as time, Pray Always without ASKING for anything, Pray Giving Thanks ONLY. How delighted the Lord’s heart, the Creator’s being will be listening to THANKS instead of begging for things? You make that decision.  So when you are praying and realize you are asking for ‘things’, simply say, “Lord I am begging you for….. or begging you to……….” This will, over time, lead to a change in the way you are begging and probably lead to a growth process to THANKFULNESS instead of begging.

You all know this scenario; I meet a friend and ask how things are going. My friend says I just found out I have cancer. My immediate response, “Let me pray with you right now.” We both take the posture. Present petitions. Probably spend 2-3 minutes in prayer. Then part ways. When was the last time your friend said, “I found a job after a year of being without a job,” and you said, “Let me pray with you?” It never happens, right? We do say “Praise the Lord.” “God is great.” And then continue in celebrating with each other.

Why don’t we spend 2-3 minutes in Prayerful Thankfulness together!?

We simply do not know how!  Although we say do everything with Thanksgiving, we’ve never been trained on giving thanks……

It is time to chart the ways of Praying in a Communing, Connecting and Conversing with the Lord, and none of these last three words have anything to do with begging. Look them up. Oh, while we are at it, look for synonyms for the word ‘praying’ and see what comes up!   It is time to make a CHANGE so that 30 years from now, when you look up synonyms to ‘praying’ the words that come up would be Communing, Connecting and Conversing.

It is not for the world to make the CHANGE, it is you and you and you and me, individually applying such behavior that will one day make the world understand the true meaning of the word ‘PRAY’.

I thank you my God, my Father, my Creator, my Maker, my Originator for who You are. I am in awe of Your Creation all around me. I look at the waves as they break in an ocean and think of Your majesty. I see the colors that enrich my eyes and I marvel at the beauty of what You’ve made. We all are talking about an eclipse that will occur in a couple of weeks here in mid-America, may the wonderment turn into astonishment at the splendor of what you fashioned. I do beg you that I never grow weary from looking at what You’ve Created. That nothing becomes MUNDANE and that I never lose the respect, admiration and reverence to YOU my LORD. Amen

Back to my friend with Cancer, and it is a mere suggestion; “Lord I lift to you my friend. I beg that I would encourage him through what he has to go through. I beg that I can be there for him whenever he needs me. I beg that his spirit be lifted and his family is patient through this. May he and his family know and sense that they are held in the palm of Your hands. I thank you for his friendship and I am grateful to the wonderful family he has. You my Lord know how this will go and may your will be done.” Amen.