Stop Praying

"To just read the Bible, attend church, and avoid "big" sins -- is this passionate, wholehearted love for God?" - Francois Fenelon, The Seeking Heart

This was the opening quote in Crazy Love by Francis Chan, a book that I am currently reading for my Sunday school class. The first chapter in this book is entitled "Stop Praying." At first, I was taken aback by this, as it is an unexpected phrase in the status quo "Christianese" that we have become so used to. This is the first paragraph in the chapter:

What if I said, "Stop praying"? What if I told you to stop talking *at* God for a while, but instead to take a long, hard look at Him before you speak another word? Solomon warned us not to rush into God's presence with words. That's what fools do. And often, that's what we do.

Basically, I think what Francis is challenging us to do here is to stop worrying about always having the "right" words to say to God, and let Him have center stage. Stop trying to impress God with big, churchy words and, every once in a while, just listen. You just might fall crazy in love with what He has to say.

I tend to ramble often, and sometimes even stutter. How comforting to know that I don't always have to be perfectly eloquent in talking to God!

I, myself, am guilty of having close to a thousand Facebook friends. Of those thousand, I hold actual conversations with only a select few. I don't want to let God become one of those Facebook friends that I never talk to or listen to. I want to be CRAZY in love with Him, so CRAZY, that He's all I can think about. I want to be so in love, that I can't go a single day without talking and listening to Him.

Listen. You just might be surprised by what you hear.