In Bev's June 28 "Perspective from my Pillow", at "Scratchin the Surface", she says that she sometimes feels bad about bothering God with little requests, but discusses that more, and as the post grows, her words become almost a prayer, as she explains how praying (especially when she's restless and so tired she's weary) carries her into peaceful sleep. It's the best description I've heard of real humility, of not just loving the Lord, but accepting His Love.

I've felt much the way Bev describes about asking Him for small favors, and I notice from bloggers comments that they often feel the same, so I think perhaps this whole concept about prayer and petition may need a closer look.

Like a lot of things in our lives, not much is simple, or easily explained. I suppose out of all the creatures our Lord created, we may be the more complex of them, or perhaps it's also that we sometimes complicate it.

Little children pray like the Bible tells them to. They approach God boldly, and unless taught differently, reflect much faith. Some of this can be explained by remembering that children, at least at first, operate exclusively by thinking concretely. Everything is like it seems, and anything is possible. Santa can bring a real live horse to a child in the city. Never mind that it won't have a pasture to graze in when it gets there. All they have to do is just believe.

But somewhere between those innocent years, and the beginning of peer pressure, other things affected how we not only relate to each other, but maybe to our God.

I don't remember being taught much, even before my teens, about how to communicate with other human beings, except I somehow learned some respectful terms, like yes Mam, or no Sir, expressions we hear less and less today. I also learned a few of the not so appropriate kind, but at least understood that they shouldn't be repeated, not by a respectable Southern girl.

It's a very stark reflection of our time, that when couples end up in therapy, sometimes to try to save their marriages, one of the main things therapists try to get across to them is that listening to each other is so needed.

Other aspects of our culture lend to this in a positive way, or not, and from what I've seen, it needs a lot of fixing. How many people in your life do you feel really hear you, and how often do you have the patience to listen to what they say?

Have you noticed what's happening in the marketplace, and just about everywhere. At a recent trip to our town's airport, it somewhat resembled outer space, with two legged creatures walking around like ET, talking into their little machines, wired so they could receive messages, and leave their hands free.

I understand the need for what we call commercial progress, but I sometimes long for older times, instead of what seems to me is a not absolutely needed hurry up form of almost everything. The computer has instant messaging, as do the cell phones, and I understand other inventions about communicating are coming on the scene.

In Las Vegas, weddings and funerals are played out almost as quickly as ordering from Burger King. and as far as I know, you can still Dial the phone for a Prayer.

Many business tranactions, and other market place deeds are done by computers or other machines. It's becoming rare to actually connect with another human being, even in stores. If you use this form of relating to connect with our Lord, can you see that much may be lost, even though intentions may be well intended.

Over and over in His Ancient Words, He tells us He wants us to enter His Presence in prayer and with song, and that He's interested in our tears, and concerns, and like Bev said, it doesn't matter if they're big, or small.

We are like the children still in concrete thinking, but our Savior isn't confined to such limited ability. Every now and then, a caring thought seeps out of our hearts, like helping the poor, and may be more of a prayer than the ones we speak. But it must be more than a one way connection. This past week's Christian Women Quote dealt with our seeing and hearing and really caring about the needs of who we're praying for.

We say we want to know His will. We say we want to be more like Him, but do we. We ask how we can, but will we? He's already told us how. "Feed the hungry. Bind their wounds or sores. Visit those behind locked doors, and care about those who grieve. Forgive even intended slights, and do not judge". Many times those conditions for being close to Him seemed more than I could do, especially the forgiving and the not judging those who hurt or wronged me.

But selflessness like that comes only from God. How can we hold it in our human hearts, for even a little while, if we don't accept the Love He pours on us.