Give Me A Growing Desire To Pray

　　Dear Lord, give me a growing desire to pray. It remains so hard for me to give my time generously to you. I am still greedy for time—time to be useful, effective, successful, time to perform, excel, produce.

　　But you, O Lord, ask nothing else than my simple presence, my humble recognition of my nakedness, my defenseless confession of my sins, so that you can let the rays of your love enter my heart and give me the deep knowledge that I can love because you have loved me first, that I can offer acceptance because you have accepted me first, and that I can do good because you have shown me your goodness first.

　　What holds me back? What makes me so hesitant and stingy, so careful and calculating? Do I still want to build up some kind of reserve in case you might not come through? Please, Lord, help me to give up these immature games, and let me love you freely, boldly, courageously, and generously. Amen.

　　~ Henry J.M. Nouwen, “A Cry For Mercy”.