This morning I read these words about prayer: Prayer is the "slender nerve that moveth the muscles of Omnipotence." I've never heard it put quite that way before but I like it!
In Exodus 1 and 2, we read that prayer is more than just articulate and well chosen words. Sometimes our prayers feel like this - a little too "canned." We often pray this way before dinner as we simply say: "God bless this food to our bodies. Amen." But here in Exodus, we see that it's because of the bondage that Israel "sighs" and "cries" out to God. Their "groans" become that "slender nerve" the moves God into action. It's out of their anguish and out of their desperation that they plead to God for help.
What this teaches me and hopefully you as well is that the most heartfelt and down-to-earth prayers may just be the ones that God wants to hear from us. Yes, there's room for the "oldies but goodies," but I think God would rather hear us yearning for his help, guidance, and wisdom instead of praying a prayer because we feel like we have to.
