Deep Revolt

Turn to him from whom people have deeply revolted, O children of Israel. . . .  For it is in returning and rest you shall be saved; in quietness and in trust shall be your strength.  These two verses from Isaiah 31 (15) and 30 (6), strike me this day.  Strike me to the heart, in fact.  Have we "deeply revolted" against Him who made us?  Wow.  That puts a harsh spin on our sin, doesn't it?  Isn't it funny how the words sinned, rebelled, and disobeyed have lost their punch for us?  We speak them so freely, and without weeping, that we have lost sight of what they really mean. 

But "deeply revolted"; think about those words.  Our revolt against our heavenly and kind King has been profound, unspeakably so. 

Yet there is an antidote: Turn to him.  For as 30:18 tells us, Therefore the Lord waits to be gracious to you, and therefore he exalts himself to show mercy to you.  His desire, His whole purpose in history, is to put forth Christ as the antidote to our revolution against Him.  He shows mercy to us by pouring out wrath on His own Son, on Himself if you will.  His wrath against us was spent on Himself.  And those of us who have inherited salvation now have rest.  So turn to Him in trust this day.  For if He did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? (Romans 8:32). 
 
Turn back to Him, for in returning to Him and resting in His finished work we will be saved.  And in quietness and trust we will have the strength we need. 

This Father of Ours

Do you ever ponder how blessed we believers in Jesus Christ are, to be called the children of the Most High God?  John puts it this way:  See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are (1 John 3:1).  What an amazing grace and kindness this is to us pieces of dust (See Psalm 103:14)! 

I marveled again at this merciful fatherliness of God's this morning as I read Isaiah 30 (yes, I'm skipping around).  The prophet seems to be vacillating between God's wrath in judgment and His mercy to His people.  Back and forth, His promise of gentleness to His little ones and His promise of wrath to the rebellious ones. 

But the part that struck me today was verses 27-33 where we see the burning of His intense and rightful wrath, the fury that He reserves for those who reject Him.  We see hailstones, terror, a stream of sulfur, the descending blow of His arm.  Yet, in the middle of this frightfulness is tucked this little verse:  You shall have a song as in the night when a holy feast is kept, and gladness of heart, as when one sets out to the sound of the flute to go to the mountain of the Lord, to the Rock of Israel. 

The King is coming to avenge all wrongs, and in that day we will rejoice like never before.  Even now, we can have gladness of heart in knowing that our King has already come to win His bride and disarm the enemy.  We can rejoice that there is coming a day when the holy feast is kept and we will have undiluted gladness of heart, because the King comes to fetch His bride.  That's us, ladies.  And forever we will be with Him.  But even now, He dwells with us and in us; what an exquisite chosenness that is.  Imagine this King choosing you, and then destroying your enemy for you.  What protection. What strength on our behalf.  What a Father we have. 

Be filled with gladness this day. 

The Gray Cats of Our Lives

Aren't these boys sweet?  Well, this morning while I was stationary biking, they both decided to play with the stuffed gray cat.  Mr. Knightley had it first, then Opie decided he wanted it as well.  They tugged and pulled with their whole bodies for a full ten minutes, growling and snarling and hanging on literally by the skin of their teeth.  I decided to let them go to it, as I was curious as to how long it would last.  Finally, Mr. Knightley (on the right) let go and walked away.  Opie then followed Knightley and dropped the cat at his feet, as if to say, Well, if you don't want it, I sure don't.  Or maybe it was a peace offering.  Or a challenge.  We'll never know. 

But I mused as I watched:  Isn't it just like us to want what someone else has until we actually get it?  Isn't it true that we fight for what we believe in until we lose friends over it and then realize we didn't believe it that badly after all?  Don't we relish the thought of winning until we actually win (and I'm referring to disagreements, not Scrabble!).  [I'm not saying here that we don't hold on firmly to our beliefs and understandings of Scripture; but when the issue is something less than truth, when it's just a battle of wills, the first one to let go is the clear winner.]

Paul speaks in a number of places of our "one another" lives:  

             Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ         forgave you. (Ephesians 4:32) 

 

          Finally, brothers, rejoice. Aim for restoration, comfort one another, agree with one   another, live in peace; and the God of love and peace will be with you.  (2 Corinthians 13:11)

 

           Let us not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.  (Galatians 5:26)

 

My pups know nothing of Scripture, although I'm working on it!  But they do honor God in pointing me to my Savior as the only One who can enable me to love.  They show me how to let go of the "gray cat", and humble myself at another's and Another's feet. 

 

 

Lazy Rivers

My favorite ride at the water park is the lazy river:  so soothing and comfortable.  No need to scream or clutch my husband's arm in terror or do the claustrophobic panic thing.  Just ride along and watch people.  So noncommittal. 

 

Lest we think that trusting God is like that, just riding along on His almighty coattails, taking in the view, let's read Isaiah 55:1-2.  Come, everyone who thirsts, come to the waters; and he who has no money, come, buy and eat!  Come, buy wine and milk without money and without price.  Why do you spend your money for that which is not bread, and your labor for that which does not satisfy?  Listen diligently to me, and eat what is good, and delight yourselves in rich food.  Look at all those verbs!  Come.  Buy.  Eat.  Listen.  Delight.  In case you missed this one: Listen diligently. 

Of course, we know that it is only by God's grace that we are able to come and listen (See Ephesians 2:8-10), but there is still a call to us.  Trust is active and not lazy.  It's not "letting go and letting God"; rather, it is working to know God, listening, eating the rich food He lays before us in His Word, "spending" our time/energy/thoughts on Him, delighting in who He is and the work He has done on our behalf. 

Can you trust someone you do not know?  Would you leave problems in the hands of a stranger?  Trusting is work, active work. 

So go ahead and sit.  But while you are sitting, soak in His Word, strive to understand Him and His ways, review the work He has already done in your life, lay that burden down, lay it down.  I mean it, lay it down.  There.  Now that is trust. 

Walking in Darkness

Do you walk in darkness this day, straining to trust the Lord with unanswered questions and fears?  Are you troubled that God seems so silent when you are working so hard to hear His voice?  Hear this then, this word from His mouth:  And the ransomed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion with singing; everlasting joy shall be upon their heads; they shall obtain gladness and joy, and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. (Isaiah 51:11)


This is good news.  When we can't trust our feelings and our circumstances, there is more hope than we can use spoken from the mouth of the very Lord who governs it all.  And He can be trusted, even when we don't see Him.  Read His Word, hear His voice, hang on to it in the darkness.  I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, . . . and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens and laid the foundations of the earth?  (51:12-13) 

Remember this Lord of yours, and be comforted. 

 

The Fire that He Kindles

 

There is a place of darkness through which we walk in this life, a place and time when we aren't sure we can trust this God we love.  It has happened to me a couple of times in recent past memory.  We pray according to God's will, really good things for our loved ones that we know are in keeping with His revealed will, and we see nothing.  No good things happen. God appears to remain silent and inactive.  And in distant memory, when a godly friend committed suicide, I almost lost hope.  Does God answer prayer?  Does He make a way through temptation?  Does He indeed provide a "way of escape", as 1 Corinthians 10 tells us?  How often does it not appear to be so? 

But what, after all, is faith?  Is it not trusting in the darkness, trusting what we know to be true, even if we can't see?  Trusting that we know the One that laid the path before us, and who will not allow us to trip and fall?  Walking in the dark necessitates either standing still and becoming stagnant, or moving forward believing in the One who commands even the darkness. 

Either my circumstances are in charge, or God is.  Either my friend was right in taking her own life, or God made a way of escape for her that she refused.  Either the resurrection is a true event in history that changes everything, or we are all more lost than we think.  Which is it to be? 

Isaiah puts the choice before us this way:  Who among you fears the Lord and obeys the voice of his servant?  Let him who walks in darkness and has no light trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God.  Behold, all you who kindle a fire, who equip yourselves with burning torches!  Walk by the light of  your fire, and by the torches that you have kindled!  This you have from my hand: you shall lie down in torment.  (50:10,11)

I don't know about you, but I'd rather not be in torment from the Lord.  I'd much prefer to walk in the light that He provides, the light of His Word and His acts in history, as confusing as that sometimes is to do.  By God's grace and in the power of His Holy Spirit, let's encourage one another to trust in Him when the way ahead seems perilous and the skies seem like lead and our God seems like He is sleeping.  He is not, and all will be made clear one day.   

Lessons From the Beach

 

A friend and I went to the beach yesterday, where the sun was hot and the breezes cool.  It was delicious.  It occurred to me, not for the first time, that in our techno age, and our era of abundance in every corner (just look around your home and see if I'm not right), we need the simplicity of the beach.  To see three layers:  sand, sea, and sky, and nothing else.  It never fails to soothe my senses and bring peace and quiet to my heart.  I always long to stay much longer than my receptive skin (red, again!) and schedule can manage, and usually try to tuck a few more minutes into my visit. 

Please take time this summer to get to the beach, and savor.  Take long minutes to absorb the scenery and let it soak into your veins. 

And then, by God's grace, bring it back with you into your everyday world.  Not to make you discontent, but to call you to simpler living and thinking and decorating and scheduling.  Let it remind you of the rest that only Christ gives.  Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy-laden, and I will give you rest.  Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am gentle and humble of heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light  (Matthew 11:28-30).  For only in Him is my soul at rest. 

Intimacy with God

Lately, this week mostly, I have been feeling a tad distant from my husband.  Oh, nothing's wrong in our relationship.  It's just that with my bum leg (see Saturday's post), we aren't taking our usual hour-long walk every day.  We're used to talking . . . a lot.  We review our day, analyze our kids (surely we're not the only ones that do this!), and generally catch up.  But lately, our talking is late at night and brief.  In short, I'm missing him.  Funny how you can live side by side and still be lonely for someone. 

But, lest my dear one feel pressure to demonstrate his love and attention in other ways, I need to face my own true needs.  Is Dennis the panacea to all my loneliness?  God did say, It is not good for man [or woman] to be alone (Genesis 2:18).  But this same God also said through the Psalmist, Whom have I in heaven but you? And there is nothing on earth that I desire besides you (Psalm 73). 

He meant me for relationship, talking and listening, most especially relationship with Him.  All of our married-couple talk cannot fill the gap that God meant for Himself.  My deepest intimacy needs to be with God, my pourings-out primarily to Him, my ego stroked by an understanding of His wrath poured out on Another for me.  This is life itself, knowing God intimately. 

Such a thought, that the King of the universe bids me into His very presence.  He makes Himself known to me in His Word and His world, and beckons me to reciprocate.  This oft-quoted statement by Augustine applies:  "Thou madest us for Thyself, and our heart is restless, until it repose in Thee."  (Don't you love that in the old English?)  Let us repose, then, in Him. 

Yes, building relationships is important, making time for conversation with my sweetheart is a key to our marriage, and living life with others is necessary, but let us not be so busy doing all of that that God gets our leftovers.  He is the only One, really and truly, that can fill those holes in our hearts left empty by everyone else. 

Having said all of that, I am definitely looking forward to a 3-hour drive alone with Dennis this afternoon. 

All Boasting

When was the last time you called yourself an idiot?  When you really blew it and felt so stupid about what you had said or done?  Or maybe you called someone else an idiot; oh, not in so many words, but certainly in your heart.  Think about that a minute. 

Have you ever considered both those name-callings "boasting"?  Might it be that you think you're better than that idiocy you just performed, that you disappoint yourself by your behavior sometimes?  Certainly you are better than that idiot driving next to you, or standing in front of you in the express checkout, or living in your house with you.  Our high views of ourselves are surely boasting!  "I would never do that."  "I used to act like that, but I'm really glad I've grown up."  "Don't they know that Christians don't act like that?  If only they were more like me."  You get the picture. 

 

Now, while self-evaluation is necessary, self-congratulation is not.  There is only one thing, one thing!, that makes us good and righteous and it is the blood of Christ.  Nothing more and nothing less.  For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. . . .This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. . . . Then what becomes of our boasting?  It is excluded.  (Romans 3:23-27)  Elyse Fitzpatrick puts it this way:  "Only the pride-annihilating message of the cross has the power to destroy our illogical yet intractable faith in ourselves."  (taken from Comforts from Romans, Day 9, 2013)

My husband reminds me of "Day 9" in Romans lately whenever I make judgments of myself or others.  And he's right.  All boasting is vain and coming from a self-absorbed heart, except the boasting that proclaims His goodness and righteousness and faithfulness, the goodness that He bestowed on us when we became His.  O happy day: we can let go of our selves and that image of goodness we want so badly, and let ourselves be dressed in His goodness. I will greatly rejoice in the Lord; my soul shall exult in my God [and Him only!], for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation; he has covered me with the robe of righteousness.  (Isaiah 61:10)

Praise Him alone for an escape from my idiocy! 

First and Last

Aah, cool waters on a warm day.  As nice as central air is on a hot summer day, I still like the outside air under the backyard trees.  So here I sit on the deck remembering that winter lasted into May this year.  And thankful that I can always go indoors. 

Look what I found in Isaiah which repeats itself in Revelation:  Thus says the Lord, the King of Israel and his Redeemer, the Lord of hosts:  "I am the first and I am the last; besides me there is no god." (44:6)   

And again in Revelation 1:17,18:  When I saw him, I fell at his feet as though dead.  But he laid his right hand on me, saying, "Fear not, I am the first and the last, and the living one.  I died, and behold I am alive forevermore, and I have the keys of Death and Hades." 

Again we see His sure promise of the Redeemer, His description of His eternality and kingship, and then His fulfillment after the resurrection, beckoning us on to glory.  The perfect "before and after" that we love so much in décor magazines and on Wheel of Fortune.  Only the two pictures of Christ are no different, except in accomplishment.  Christ the Redeemer promised, and Christ the Redeemer finished in His great task of salvation for the nations. 

Always the first and last, He comes in Revelation to remind us that He is the living One now, firstborn from the dead, that He might bring many sons to glory.  Those sons are us.  

There is no one like Him, always the Redeemer, now reigning in glory, holding the keys to our futures in His bloodied hands.  Let us not fear, but rejoice that we stand before the Lord of glory washed in the shower of His blood, clothed in the robes of His righteousness.  There is no other god like Him. 

Thoughts About Summer

With a temporary (I hope!) bum leg from a fall on the ice in January (that never healed), I am left to sit on the deck under the leafy canopy of our backyard, and read and study and work and write.  Just the sort of life for me.  The cool breezes are a balm to my soul and a reminder of God's grace in creation.  I don't even mind missing the Farmer's Market one week.  (Hold my feet to the fire and see if I am so content if this goes on for a month!)  This is my summer this year, and I'm loving it so far. 

What is keeping your summer happy?  What do you love about the northern seasons, especially this one?  Remember to sign your name when you comment, so we can enjoy your thoughts along with you. 

Secret Thoughts

I didn't actually intend to mention two books in one week, but perusing Challies.com, Tim Challies' blog, this morning, I found this post from a few days ago and just couldn't pass it up.  Rosaria Butterfield, a former lesbian college professor-turned-homeschooling pastor's wife, speaks with World magazine editor Marvin Olasky about the kind of loving, accepting evangelism that eventually brought her to Christ.  Click on the link below, read and be challenged and encouraged, then join us this fall to discuss her book in Books & Chocolate book club. 

http://scribblepreach.com/2013/07/11/8-evangelism-lessons-from-an-unlikely-convert/

His Consolations

When the cares of my heart are many, your consolations cheer my soul.  (Psalm 94:19)  What consolations might those be?  How does God console when the cares of my heart overrun my mind and my schedule and my home? 

I, I am he who comforts you; who are you that you are afraid of man who dies, of the son of man who is made like grass, and have forgotten the Lord, your Maker, who stretched out the heavens . . .  and [says] to Zion, 'You are my people'.  (Isaiah 51:12-13, 16)  

Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.   How?   A voice cries: In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. . . And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.  (Isaiah 40:1, 3, 5)

Behold, my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights . . . (Isaiah 42:1)

Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight (read: cares) and the sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us, looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God. (Hebrews 12:1-2) 

Re-focus.  Take your eyes off your cares and put them on the God who is big enough, magnificent enough, loving enough, to handle them for you.  Jesus Christ is proof of the profound care of our Almighty God.  Meditate on Him and His ways.  Remember His past care.  Memorize His Word.  And let His consolations cheer your very soul. 

Thrive

Whew . . . I can finally do a post about this book!  I had to wait until a) I finished it (last night in bed) and b) we discussed it at book club (last night before bed).  In the last week, it has changed hands many times at my house, mostly because all the kids were home, and I had two copies lying around. 

I have three words to say about Lina's new book:  Please Read It.  I know she promotes it as a book for singles, which it surely is, but her subtitle could just as well be "The Christian Life As God Intended".   This is a book for Everyman (and Everywoman), and every woman last night agreed that this was true. 

Lina's five attitudes to embrace are: contentment, self-control, holiness, understanding freedom, and undivided devotion to the Lord.  Is there room in your life for more of these?  We are so prone to wander, aren't we, so prone to leave the God we love.  Practicing these attitudes can get us back on track.  Read this book for motivation and deeper understanding of how a lack of these attitudes gets us way off track. 

Her four obstacles to overcome:  self-pity, bitterness, idolatry, and the lie of loneliness.  Raise your hand if you never struggle with any of these, and then read Lina's book and realize that you nibble at them more than you think.  If you know that you lean in the direction of any of these, learn from Lina how to lean back on Christ.  For He is the answer to all our obstacles.  He is our good, sovereign, perfect Redeemer. 

And this is one of the lies we believe: that God is not good to us. 
                               "Satan knew exactly how to get Eve.  All he had to do was
                               convince her that God simply wasn't good.  If God were good,
                               He wouldn't hold anything back from Eve, would He? [When was
                               the last time you believed that lie?]  And poor Eve fell for it. 
                               Next thing you know, she's stuck with a lifetime of clothes
                               shopping and epidurals."  (p. 226) 

In Thrive, Lina bares her soul and her struggles with sin with us.  Her honesty propels us to tell ourselves the truth about our own sin and its consequences, and then to fall more in love with the God Who has rescued us from both. 

Please.  Read.  It. 

The Father Who Sees in Secret

 

This morning, I am delighted to welcome Amanda Held Opelt, our daughter-in-law, as our guest blogger.  She and her husband Tim live in Boone, NC, and have joined us for the Independence Day holiday.  Read on and be encouraged. 

 

Matthew 6:3-4 But when you give alms, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, that your alms may be in secret and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Matthew 6:6  But you, when you pray, go into your inner room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

Matthew 6:17-18  But you, when you fast, anoint your head, and wash your face so that you may not be seen fasting by men, but by your Father who is in secret, and your Father who sees in secret will repay you.

My husband asked me with a chuckle the other day, “What ever happened to the personal journal?  No one ever sits down and scribbles ‘Dear Diary’ into a notebook anymore.  Everything is out on the internet for everyone to see!”  He’s right.  About 5 years ago, my habit of keeping a weekly journal to record my thoughts, the things God was teaching me, and the prayers He was answering, was replaced by almost daily posts on Facebook.  No longer was my self-reflecting personal, or an intimate conversation between myself and my Creator.  Instead, I found myself wanting, even needing, “likes” for the things I was learning, and affirmation for my spiritual growth.  And while the things we post on Facebook and the thoughts we tweet may serve in some way to edify the Body, the impulse to be known and affirmed by a wide audience is not necessarily part of our calling in Christ.  Beyond social media, I find myself now wanting, even needing affirmation at work, church, and the home for the ways I serve.

Have you ever heard the question: “If a tree falls in a forest and no one is there to hear it, does it make a sound?”  How about, “If Amanda is blessed by God with a positive experience or new insight, and no one else knows about it, does the experience even matter?”  Do I require affirmation and praise from others in order to experience fullness of life in Christ?  The answer should be, “NO!”  In fact, Jonathan Martin, a pastor in Charlotte, has this to say about what it means to experience real depth in our relationship with Christ:

 

“In our culture of constant access and nonstop media, nothing feels more like a curse from God than time in the wilderness. To be obscure, to be off the beaten path, to be in the wilderness feels like abandonment. It seems more like exile than a vacation. To be so far off of everyone’s radar that the world might forget about us for a while? That’s almost akin to death…[But] far from being punishment, judgment, or a curse, the wilderness is a gift. It’s where we can experience the primal delight of being fully known and delighted in by God.”

The call to the Christian life is often a call to the wilderness, to lack of recognition, to giving ALL credit to God as the source of our growth in righteousness.  He is a Father who sees in secret, and a God who looks at the heart, rather than a post on a social media site.  There’s a time for sharing, and a time for silence.  Wisdom is knowing the difference and having the humility to sometimes choose obscurity.

                                                                                                         Amanda Opelt

July 4th!

 

For you were called to freedom, brothers. Only do not use your freedom as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another.  (Galatians 5:13) 

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.  (2 Corinthians 3:17)

 

Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.  (I Peter 2:16)

 

For whatever overcomes a person, to that he is enslaved.  (2 Peter 2:19b)

 

Finally, if you see a veteran today, thank him.  Happy Independence Day!

 

 

Joyful Noises

This morning, I read straight through Psalms 94 and 95 and found something that might inform my future fears, if I take heed.  The Psalmist in 94 is uttering his complaint about the rise of the wicked, those who crush your people, O Lord, and afflict your heritage, those who frame injustice by statute . . . and condemn the innocent to death.  (Sound familiar?)  He then confirms what he knows to be true:  The Lord our God will wipe them out. 

Now you and I and the Psalmist all know that God doesn't always wipe the wicked out according to our timetable, but according to His own.  Praise Him for that!  In fact, the very next line in the next Psalm is this:  Oh come, let us sing to the Lord, let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!  Read: focus, people, focus.  In times when the wicked seem to be rising in influence and by mandate we are to keep our eyes fixed, not on the decline of our culture, though we are NOT to bury our heads in the sand unseeingly, but on the Lord who will finally and forever reign in our midst.  We are to continue to obey the command to worship and bow down, as Daniel did when things went dark around him.  For He is our God, not another; He is the One who rescues, and commands our allegiance.  Obedience, then, becomes simple:  He is the One we are to obey. 

For the Lord is a great God, and a great King above all gods.  So today, if you hear His voice, don't harden your heart and think He is out of control.  Trust me and trust Him when He says that the best is yet to come.  And if you don't quite believe it, read Revelation 21 and 22.  And make a joyful noise! 

Summer!

 

Finally, summer is here in all its glory.  Did it feel like a long time coming to you like it did to me?  As I discussed the week ahead with our son in North Carolina last night, I assured him that he will love being here:  the fresh clean air, the green, the breezy and cool-ish weather.  I am basking in the glory that is Wisconsin Summer.  And I rejoice that God put us in a 4-season state.  Mostly, I'm enjoying the anticipation of having everyone home together for the first time in three years. 

What do you love most about the summer?  What are you rejoicing in this season?  What are you most anticipating? 

The comment box is open for your rejoicings . . .

Entering His Gates

 

Husband arrives home:  "Honey, would you mind fixing that drip in the kitchen sink?  And don't forget to fill the bird feeders; there've been no songbirds here at all today.  Oh, and I need those batteries from Menards for the bark collar.  And please help me think through the menus for the week when all the kids are here."  Nice welcome, huh? 

Now, while we wouldn't dream of treating our husbands like hired servants (or maybe we would and do), we do that to the Lord all the time.  "Lord, please help me with this, and keep so-and-so safe, and heal this friend, and don't forget to work on world peace."  Rarely a how-do-you-do or thanks for the last safe trip you gave my loved one. 

Here's how the Psalmist teaches us to approach Him (from Psalm 100):  Enter His gates with thanksgiving, and His courts with praise! Give thanks to Him; bless His name!   The Lord of Hosts, King of all the earth, is the One with whom we are speaking.  Think of who He is.  Think of all that He has done.  Fix your eyes on His greatness and His kindness to you and those you love.  Enter His presence gratefully and worshipfully. 

Of course, there are times we cry out to Him with requests and intercessions, forgetting the thankful parts. He knows we are dust, and need His help.  But these ways of entering His gates should be the exception in our prayers, not the rule.  Remember, we are entering His gates and His courts. 

Bless His name!