Authentic Prayers

Do you go to God seeking His will for your life or do you simply want something from Him? This is a critical question because your prayers to God are not for changing Him or to beg Him to do what you want Him to do. Rather, it is to be changed by God and to be empowered to do His divine will. Man is transformed in prayer, not God. You cannot exploit God, but you can submit yourself to Him and let God use you.

It remains a mystery as to why we seem to treat God as Santa Claus or some benefactor who will give us our heart's desire and yet, require nothing of us. We want to "use" God for our own selfish purposes and give nothing in return. We seem to want God to hear our prayers but we suddenly become deaf when He speaks. Well, God is deaf to the prayers of those who are deaf to His will.

We diminish the integrity of our prayers when we foolishly attempt to use God as a means of straightening out the mess we, ourselves, have created. Getting yourself in debt and begging God to get you out from under is not praying. Mumbling words to Him when your back is against the wall is not praying. Praying means going to God on His terms, not ours. It means drawing nearer to Him in humble submission, realizing our unmitigated unworthiness before His Holy Highness.

When we pray, we pray to the Holy with a penitent spirit. Prayer is the language of worship and recognition of our total dependence on Him. We submit ourselves and approach Him as the sinners we are who have been saved by His amazing grace. As the recipient of His mercies we offer up our grateful thanksgiving and praise in humble adoration. Our prayers honor Him with the glory due His name.

Prayer is central to our very existence; it is our communication line to God. A Christian without an authentic prayer life is like a bird without wings. We get nowhere.

When you pray, confess your sins and weaknesses and turn all your concerns over to Him. Talk to Him as you would to your best friend and confidant. Tell Him all about what is troubling you as if He did not know. Be honest and forthright. Do not hold back anything. Then ask God for guidance, help, strength, mercy, forgiveness, and intercession for others.

Authentic prayer emanates from a deep spiritual need and you understand where to go to get the need met.

Rev. Saundra L. Washington, D.D., is an ordained clergywoman, social worker, and Founder of AMEN Ministries. http://www.clergyservices4u.org She is also the author of two coffee table books: Room Beneath the Snow: Poems that Preach and Negative Disturbances: Homilies that Teach. Her new book, Out of Deep Waters: My Grief Management Workbook, will be available soon.

house refresh service Lincolnshire ..

In The News:

Cybersecurity firm Infoblox reveals that over 90 percent of parked domains now redirect visitors to scams and malware, making simple typos extremely dangerous.

The Fox News AI Newsletter covers the latest artificial intelligence technology advancements, including the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

GPT-5.2 is now live for all ChatGPT users with improved coding, writing and image interpretation, with Kurt Knutsson offering his review.

New iPhone replacement scam uses pressure tactics and fake carrier calls to steal devices from buyers. Criminals claim shipping errors and demand urgent returns.

Amazon Ring's new facial recognition feature sparks privacy controversy as Electronic Frontier Foundation critics argue the AI upgrade expands surveillance risks.

New Android banking trojan Sturnus steals credentials, reads encrypted messages and controls devices.

Denmark's 3D-printed student village proves automation builds 36 apartments faster than traditional methods. Skovsporet project shows housing future.

Discover Android's new Sound Notifications feature that alerts you to smoke alarms, doorbells, and baby cries even when wearing headphones.

New SantaStealer malware reportedly threatens holiday shoppers with password theft. This Christmas-themed info-stealer targets browsers and crypto wallets.

The Christmas season brings a surge in Netflix phishing scams targeting shoppers with fake emails. Stacey P received convincing scam but verified account first.

San Francisco Giants invite Jamie Grohsong to throw ceremonial first pitch at Oracle Park after he learned to play baseball with a bionic hand following an injury.

FBI warns cybercriminals are stealing family photos from social media to create fake proof of life images in virtual kidnapping scams targeting victims.

Instagram's new 'Your Algorithm' tool lets you control your Reels feed in real time. The app now gives you power to customize what videos you see.

Major Marquis fintech breach exposes 400,000-plus Americans' data through unpatched SonicWall vulnerability, with Texas hardest hit at 354,000 affected.

Free up iPhone storage fast by clearing large photos and videos from Messages app. Simple steps for iOS users to delete attachments without losing chats.

Scammers are flooding inboxes with fake tracking alerts that mimic real carriers, exploiting the holiday rush to steal logins and personal data.

The Fox News AI Newsletter brings you the latest news on AI technology advancements and the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Texas family reunites with missing 11-year-old cat Grayson after 103 days using Petco Love Lost's AI photo matching technology and community help.

Tired of AI customer service loops? These insider tricks help you escape "frustration AI" and get real human help when you need it most for urgent issues.

Unlock richer audio from your streaming apps with simple tweaks to volume normalization, equalizer settings, and quality preferences for cleaner sound.

Scammers are sending fake Facebook settlement payout emails that mimic legitimate notices from the privacy settlement administrator to deceive users.

Holiday shopping scams surge as fake refund emails target distracted consumers during Black Friday and holiday seasons, costing Americans billions annually.

The AI-powered IRMO M1 exoskeleton features four modes, including turbo, eco, training and rest for hiking, running, cycling and sports with eight-hour battery life.

OpenAI announced upgrades for its ChatGPT Images platform on Tuesday, saying the program can now make more precise edits and produce images more quickly.

Chrome for Android now turns web articles into AI-powered podcast conversations. Get hands-free browsing with Google Gemini's natural audio summaries.

Authentic Prayers

Spirituality