The Most Powerful Prayer

Diamonds in the Sky    .J.E Tada

The most powerful prayer I ever offered was the shortest. After three depressing years of suicidal despair over my paralysis, I prayed, "God, if I can't die, show me how to live. Please!"
I realized that I had to take on responsibility and face reality head on...I would have to learn how to do the impossible---handle life in a wheelchair.
...God is not looking for fancy words. He simply wants you to approach Him in spirit and truth.

Often times...we may make a prayer that deep down we know we aren't really all "there". We are saying the words, and we certainly hope that what we ask for happens, whether for us or someone else. Still, we aren't into them---possibly lost in thought over what clothes we plan to wear to church in the morning.
When we talk to God in this way, it is like ordering food someplace while the staff is on their cell phone or possibly deeply engrossed in flirting with the boy standing in the next aisle. They would practically swipe something three or four times if you did not stop them. We aren't really there, our heart is not in the job.
God loves to hear from us...we are His adopted children, and yet so often we act as if we are going to run away if given half the chance. It must hurt Him deeply when we speak a prayer that is either "I don't want to do this but it is my turn" type or the "I am a Christian, and we are supposed to pray" type. 
There are times in my life that I simply do not know what to say to my Father. He knows everything, and everything that He allows to happen is the best for me, regardless of how hard it might be. How can I say anything, anything that means anything?
Yet while God has His "mind" made up, and it seems that He changes His mind in the Bible--a controversy that causes a lot of strife---I believe now, after the readings I have made, that the prayers we make then, as Abraham did concerning Lot,  allow us to connect on such a deeper level with Him. Not so much that He exactly changes His mind...as it may be He planned to anyway---I cannot say, I am not He. But then there is such a chance for such deep focus on Him, giving us a chance to get ever so much deeper in relationship with Him. He may still say no to whatever it is we ask Him to "change" His mind on...but I have found that when those desperate cries for change, for help, for whatever it may be, are heard, but also come with a great warmth from the Spirit. A warmth that, no matter the answer, makes it easier to live and thrive.
Now then, there is a great risk...because some upon crying with their whole heart, give a large handhold to the evil ones because of their desperation for a "yes" answer. Perhaps, yet I cannot say for certain, are especially those times we say we will do or give anything for the answer to change in "our favor".  Upon an apparent "no" answer (or no for the time being....I do not expect to have RA in Paradise) they begin to whisper evilness into the prayer-lifter's ears. "Did God ever say He'd help you? He died for you...yet He won't make your life better now. He doesn't love you"...similar to those things the angel of light whispered to Eve. Lies upon lies. Poison to ever deepening poison. We then take the stance that God does not care for us, even perhaps hates us, for He does not give us what is best.
How are we to know what is best when we cannot see beyond the next breath? We are like children, angered at a parent for not letting us have five candy bars because we want them, knowing the likelihood of something worst happening than our waiting several days for the treats to be spread out upon.
Our Lord will not leave us alone, even in battles which we must compete at and will not be taken from us---such as some illnesses, or even anxiety. These things are horrible, and very trying. Yet consider how faithful He is, keeping us close to Him. Once these battles are won--even chronic illnesses in that we are no longer distressed by them---we become great use to the Lord by being able to help others. We are witnesses by not losing faith in our King, by continuing to fight, even when it seems all hope is gone.
We may at this point think that this is not fair---being used to help others after going through terrible things. What more might we expect? One, it causes us to change and grow and rely upon God in ways we otherwise would not have. Two, we are told that we, as Christians, will take up our Cross to follow Him. 
Oswald Chambers discussed the Cross and how we have romanticized the thing. We cry at the idea of His death, that the sentimentality of the thing...but we do not think of the horror of actually being on the cross, the pain or the humiliation. Our taking up the cross and following Him is not just carrying some wood. It is a life of hardships, a life of horror, a life of possible death due to our faith. We sign up for persecution because of our faith.
 We have an advantage however...God will help us with our crosses by sending the Counselor. We do not have to carry our burdens alone, unlike our Savior who died alone. (recall someone did carry the cross for Him). We will always have Someone with us, and many times we have others to speak with...Oswald Chambers states that we ought to speak more with each other of the battles we have had and are having in order to assist others.
Be strong in the Lord, absorb His Word, lean on the Spirit, and walk beside our King...ask Him to be near you---you will feel any sin glaring at you that might be keeping you from God. He, however, will never leave you fully, no matter how far away you might run.