Mercy!

In the last year especially, I've sought out what it means to pray.  Prior to becoming a mother and realizing how little control I actually have over my life, prayer stooped before the other "Christian disciplines."  I always admired those who prayed diligently and coveted the term "prayer warrior."  But I wasn't there.  Not by a long shot.

And I'm still not.

The more I learn about communicating and relying on God, the more I realize how far I have to go.

But to me, prayer is about control--relinquishing it in my mind to the One who has always possessed it.

I read an incredible devotion in Our Daily Bread yesterday.  Anne Cetas uses the illustration of bending another person's hands back to get them to the point of screaming "Mercy!"

We often try to get God to give up and give in to our wishes, instead of bending to His will. It's about manipulating the cosmic bellboy to do our bidding. "When it seems we aren't winning, we try a little harder to convince Him by begging or bargaining.  We may even give up grudgingly and say, 'Lord, You always win! That's not fair!'

"Occasionally in our honesty a demanding spirit comes out.  In our wiser moments, we make our requests known to our Lord, surrender them to Him, rely on His grace, and wait for His answers (Phil. 4:6-7)."

Surrendering and declaring "Mercy" to our Father is about trusting His all-sufficient and loving arms.

"Be glad and eager to throw yourself unreservedly into His loving arms, and to hand over the reins of government to Him."  ~ Hannah Whitall Smith