Where's my 'wow' moment?

"Dear Lord, please watch over my family, my friends and my cat. Thank You for all You do....uh....and *yawn* continue to bless us....amen..." Your prayers ever sound painfully void like mine sometimes? It seems like no matter how hard I try to pray, my efforts come up short. I know deep in my heart I have a revenue of praise and worship just waiting to spill forth...it has on several occasions. It is a wonderful feeling, offering my all to the One who is all, showering Him with praise and thanksgiving, leaving nothing back. Wow! It's a 'wow' experience that leaves me empty and weak...and yet so renewed and complete. So what's this stumbling mess I'm blurting out in the few minutes before I drift off to sleep? Have I somehow lost my connection? Are those words literally falling back into my face after speaking them out in prayer, or is it my imagination? 

We all feel 'less-than' when it comes to praying sometimes, I'm sure. I know I do! Yes, there is a discipline issue sometimes in my life when I've waited and let life get ahead of my special time with God, and those half-asleep prayers are my fault. Ouch! There are other times, though, when my house is quiet, and I find myself kneeling in prayer, bible open, and faith tested. "Are You really listening God?" I want to ask, because it feels the exact opposite. My ceiling has never looked more non penetrable than at those moments. I've come to learn something from these moments throughout my spiritual walk, even if I don't feel like the result are worth it; PRAY ANYWAY! I don't feel God; PRAY ANYWAY! Even if it seems seriously void of any goose-bump, hair on end moments, pray anyway. Not every prayer session will be a jump-out-of-your-seat-and-run moment, but every session in prayer is a moment, a hour well spent. 

 All who call on God in true faith, earnestly from the heart, will certainly be heard, and will receive what they have asked and desired. -Martin Luther (1483-1546)

When we call upon Him in true faith, standing on what we believe, and trusting He hears our heart more than He hears our words, He inclines to our prayers! I know this to be true, because I have seen in my own life the fruit of praying, even in those tough moments. 

  Matthew 21:22 If you believe, you will receive whatever you ask for in prayer."

Jesus says here if we believe, we receive what we ask for. He didn't say we had to know eloquent speech, or state our petitions in a 1,2,3 format, or even say certain words. He did, however, say we had to do two things; believe and ask! We got the asking part down! What better way to strengthen our belief than to pray in our weak moments, when we don't feel He is near? It is in the valley of whatever storm we are facing that great faith can be erected in our lives.