In the second session of the Conference for Pastors (live-streamed at desiringgod.org/live), Paul Miller encouraged us to go to God in prayer just as we are.
(Notes from the session and audio for download are available. The video will be up shortly.)
Miller says that real, joyful, functional praying eludes most church members and pastors, and this is not a good sign, because prayer is about fellowship with God.
God wants the "muddy you"—you in all your brokeness—to come to him as a child in prayer. When most people try to create a habit of prayer, they create a "spiritual" version of them to go to God. But God wants the real you to come to him as you would to anyone with whom you are in an intimate relationship.
The biggest secret to prayer is helplessness. Feeling our need for Jesus will drive us to prayer. We need to feel—
I need Jesus. My family needs Jesus. If Jesus doesn't come and change me and sustain me and my family, we are headed towards disaster. I cannot do life on my own.
Jesus lived in child-like dependence on the Father. He had a greater sense of his helplessness without the Father than any other human that ever lived. In John 5:19 Jesus modeled child-like dependence on the Father in saying, "I do nothing on my own. I do just what I see my dad doing."
When Jesus tells us to become like a child he is inviting us to be like he is. He is inviting us into his heart.
