Prayers and Praise

          When my children were small, I often omitted the word "prayer" when I suggested we take something to God.  Instead, I would say, "Let's talk to God about this," and then we would pray.  I tried to use language that was not lofty and never used rote phrases in my eagerness to help them understand what it meant to have a realtionship with God. 
          My own prayers were mirriors of this rather casual, conversational approach to prayer.  It was, I am sure, a reaction to the stiff formality of the religious experiences of my youth.  I don't think God was offended by this phase of my spiritual development, but I think I was missing something. 
          While reading the Psalms one day, it occurred to me that there were praise words absent from my vocabulary--words like: "exhalted," "holy," "Almighty," "majestic," "sacred," "glorious," "triumphant," "eternal," "enthroned."
          I decided to begin my prayers with praise incorporating some of these words into each supplication.  (Supplication--another word I avoided).  It was awkward at first.  These words felt unfamiliar and even contrived on my tongue.  But with practice, I came to see that I needed these words to even come close to expressing how great and wonderful God is.  And often, now, I am overcome with the awareness that there are not enough words nor enough meaning behind any words we know to offer God the praise he so fully deserves.  

Psalm 145:1-3
"I will exhalt you, my God the King; I will praise your name for ever and ever.  Everyday I will praise you and extol your name for ever and ever.  Great is the Lord and most worthy of praise; his greatness no one can fathom."