Talking With God

At my high school, I play three sports- soccer, surf, and lacrosse. During my first semester I would spend an hour in the morning surfing, two hours at soccer, and one hour at lacrosse practice. Most days I wouldn't get home until five or six. But all that effort put in was worth it to me. Initially when I just started playing,every move I made was a conscience effort, remembering to position my hands correctly, or trying to remember all the rules. But now, going into my last season in my senior year, I can confidently say I can effortlessly get that perfect shot off or know exactly when to pop up on a wave. And that's what my prayer life should be. An effortless response to turn to God in any and all situations- a second nature.

What if you woke up with only the things you thanked God for the day before? I know most days I would wake up with absolutely nothing. That's how little I pray. Instead, I turn to Him when there's no one else to turn to, when I'm completely lost. I tell myself God won't mind if I don't talk to him today or that I'll get to it eventually but never do.

This past week I set a goal- that I would pray every day, to talk to God about my daily life as I would do with a best friend. And at first it was hard. I had to remember to make sure I had time to pray every day. In the beginning it was a conscience effort to remember to pray, but as the week went on, it began to turn into a habit. Now, at the end of the week, its becoming part of my daily routine- before I go to bed every night, I pray. Like sports it took effort practice and discipline, but the rewards are worth it. Hopefully, as I continue to "practice" praying, it will become second nature, an instinct to turn to God in all situations, to talk to Him on a daily basis because he is my best friend that will never let me down.