Prayer: President or Pal?

Think for a moment about the way you talk to God.  Are your prayers more formal and official?  Do you pray in very relaxed, conversational tones?  Maybe when you pray it is similar to how you would talk to the president, with great respect and deference.  Or maybe it’s like talking with a best friend or a spouse.  When you talk to God, what earthly conversation is most similar?  Who do you talk to in the same way you talk to God?  If someone heard you praying, who would they guess you were talking to?

I have a suggestion for you: try praying differently than you normally do.  If you address God more like you would a boss or the president, try talking to him as a friend.  If you tend to be less formal in your prayers, try addressing God the way you would a celebrity or a powerful person.  You see, God is both of these things.  He is infinitely great and transcendent.  But he walks alongside us and shares in our lives.  Try praying differently this week and find a new experience of God.