Prayer (cont.)

Remember, this is a work in progress.  My kids thought yesterday's post was too lengthy, so I will try to keep it a little shorter since this is for them. Yesterday I touched on the "Thy" portions of the Lord's Prayer....Thy Name...Thy Kingdom...Thy Will.  The second half is more of our plea to our Heavenly Father. 
“Give us this day our daily bread."
While God knows our need for food to nourish our bodies, He also knows the need for our spirits to be nourished.  We could say, "Give us this day our daily..." portion of thy Holy Spirit. 
Jesus tells his disciples prior to the Lord's Prayer in Matthew 6:6-8
6 ...when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.
8 Be not ye therefore like unto them: for your Father knoweth what things ye have need of, before ye ask him.
We have all seen the picture of Christ standing at the door, waiting to be let in. Christ is teaching us that through praying to the Father the door will be opened. We will then be openly rewarded with what we pray for as long as are asking in accordance with God's will. It is comforting to know that our Father knows what we need before we ask him.  Prayer is not a time just to hear our own voice, it is an opportunity to learn what our needs are, ask for help in attaining those needs, and express our thanks for the many blessings we are given daily. 
I guess some might say, "If God knows what I need, why doesn't He just give it to me?"  While in theory that may seem like an easier way, it isn't God's way.  By giving us everything we need without each of us participating in the process would kind of be like a mother laying her child's clothes out for them each day.  The child doesn't get a choice in the matter, they learn no decision making skills, and they are left only as a doll to be dressed and played with.  Our Heavenly Father wants us to learn the skills of making good decisions. He wants us to partake of this life, not just be his doll to manipulate. 
I just had a picture of the computer generated world of the "Sims" flash through my mind.  While each character in that game may appear to its creator to have the "perfect" life....would you really like to live in a world where all your choices are made for you?
So...to my children...Pray to your Heavenly Father to have His Spirit... the "bread of life"...with you to guide your choices, to ease your heart aches, to bring you peace.  He truly is there, ready with abundant blessings to bestow upon you.  In those prayers, don't just rapidly and thoughtlessly repeat a "form" prayer.  Take the time to ponder what you really want, listen once you have asked, and choose those things that will bring you home to Him.