Today may be the first full day of summer, but we’ve been in summertime mode around our house for weeks already. Sleeping in and swimming pools have filled our agenda… or lack thereof! Even my friends without children tell me they enjoy summer’s laid back leisure.

I have a hard time being diligent with my devotions in the summer, especially with my prayer time. My prayers feel weak.

But here’s a revelation I had while praying, of all times – I DON’T MATTER! I am the least important person in the prayer conversation. To say my prayers are weak implies that I-I-I-I-I-I-I am the active force in prayer, that my powerful words, my impressive speech, my eloquence, my ability to perfectly state the need and express the desired outcome are what define and determine powerful prayer.

In fact, our most effective prayers come from our deepest weakness… when we can’t utter a word, when we just groan with pain and longing, displacing our pride with humility and a core knowledge that God is our only hope.

So here’s what I mean when I say my prayers are weak:

My prayers are distracted.

I begin with praise and end up at the grocery store planning what’s for dinner, or intercession turns into drama – The Story of My Life starring Me, Myself and I.

I pray out loud or write my prayers in a scribbly scrawl no one will ever decipher. You’d be surprised how well you can type with your eyes closed in prayer! I also give God time to talk while I listen, and realize that a superfluous thought may be His soft whisper. Keep a notepad nearby to write any ideas that come during prayer.

My prayers are conspicuously absent.

There’s no poll for how many times “I’ll pray for you…” or “I’ll be praying about that…” are actually FULFILLED – but I’d bet it’s a pretty small ratio. I am shocked, embarrassed and confused about what I FORGET to pray about

Now I pray on the spot when someone expresses a need. I’ve prayed in grocery stores and coffee shops, in email and on Facebook. You don’t have to close your eyes (especially while driving, please) and make a show of it, just let prayer bring God to the situation instantaneously.

My prayers are self-focused.

Me-me-me-me-me! I bet 99.9% of my prayers are about me: my needs, my wants, my hurts when I should be focusing on confession and a repentance. Jesus provided the perfect example of prayer in John 12:28-

“Father, glorify Your name!”

This is a prayer I fall back on that I’m trying to learn to pray first. Trouble with this prayer is that you never know how it’s going to come out! One thing’s for sure, it’s going to be more than you can ask or imagine!

And that is my prayer for each of you this summer—that God will be glorified in your lives, homes and neighborhoods.