I'll Hit You Up With A Text

We have come to the point where we interface with machines and technology in our society more often than we do with each other directly. I wonder if we have come to that point with God. Is our prayer to Him basically just another text message we snap off in shorthand with “u” and “LOL” and “TTFN.” Is there a relationship going on in our communication with God? Or is there a firewall and spam filter and virus protection that keeps us from really feeling a personal connection to God when we pray. My son-in-law recently tried to use voice-to-text to tell a friend directions to somewhere: “Take Inez and make a right on Date Street” became “Pick your nose and make a right on Tate on the left.” Are we communicating with about the same effectiveness with God? Sometimes I think what we do is develop that mistaken position that we are petitioning an “aloof unfeeling entity” rather than a loving personal God who actually cared enough to take human form and suffer incredibly for those who hated him. How personal do you want it to be! Our prayer is so much more meaningful to us when it is to a personal God that cares immeasurably about every syllable we utter and wants us to share in a personal relationship with him. I think we often tend to get into repetitious “form” prayers and don’t actually just have a heartfelt conversation with God. Conversations are built on the idea that someone is listening. We believe that is what is happening with God, don’t we? Why do we pray like we are leaving a text message that may or may not be picked up and responded to? I tend to think God says, "I'm glad you called instead of texting. It’s great that we got to talk and shared all that. I love you. And you know that mistake you said you made…I’m glad you mentioned it to me and I know you don’t want to do that again. Talk to you soon, I hope! Love you!” You can leave refreshed, forgiven, and at peace. A lot of times I think we fall into the habit of praying only when we are asking for something. I think of the times I wished someone I cared about would call just to talk and then find that the only times they’d call is if they needed something. I remember how that made me feel. Maybe, sometimes we should pray and just “listen” instead of asking.