I sometimes wonder what good does praying do. I sit in silence, alone and by myself. I do nothing. I accomplish nothing. So, what good does praying do? It seems to be such a waste of time.
Yet, it is what Jesus did constantly and consistently. He always found time to pray and spend time with the Father. Early in the morning. At the end of the day. After a long journey. Up in the mountain. In a garden. In the desert. And, I can imagine, by the seashore. He prayed for blessings. He prayed in thanksgiving. He prayed in praise of the father. He prayed when He was in the depths of dejection as well as in the heights of ecstasy.
Prayer can indeed be seen as wasting time with the Lord. I can appreciate that fact remember how my most important relationships have been so because of the time I invested, or wasted, on them. Hanging out with friends in my youth was a waste of time. But it was that wasted time that has bonded us together for life. I remember wasting time with Anabelle exchanging sweet nothings. But it was that wasted time and the sweet nothings that made our love to bloom and grow. I recall the many hours wasted playing with my sons, and now with my grandchildren. But I have learned that those wasted moments get converted into golden memories in the mind of a child.
When someone comes to me for help, the easiest thing to give is money. This betrays the underlying assumption in our culture today that money solves everything. Sometimes, I give words of advice which are often mere worn-out cliches and hackneyed platitudes. Sometimes, I would offer to do something for the person. Then, I realize the most difficult and most awkward thing to give is my time. Just to spend time with a person in need. To waste moments with a friend or a loved when you know you could be doing something else – productive.
So I see prayer as spending, yes wasting, time with the Lord. I get to know Him better and love Him more deeply. And the Lord blesses those who fear/pray to Him. Like the leper and his prayer, the Lord will hear me and say, ““I will do it. Be it done unto as you have prayed.”