When we go camping in Yosemite, we have a favorite spot to park our tent trailer because of the creek running close by. Just a small creek. It’s a trickle of water, really. But if you follow the creek upstream you will find that it branches off the Merced River which is usually gushing. Follow it further and you get to Mist Trail which takes you to the thundering Vernal Falls. Beyond that you'll reach the Emerald Pools fed by the amazing reserves of high elevation alpine snow.
It occurs to me, that if I compare that water flow to the dialog God invites us to have with Him, I usually start my prayers at the creek. I start my prayers where I live, where I camp, where I dip my feet. I usually start with my concerns and send them upstream to God. Then I sometimes try to maneuver my prayers in such a way as to get God’s attention, maybe even impress Him with my ability to navigate up falls.
How different it would be to start my prayers upstream where the flow begins. When I start there it becomes altogether different. When I start there, it's as if God’s will, like fresh mountain water, gushes down into the lowlands of my life. I think that is what Jesus had in mind when He taught us to pray: Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Matthew 6:10
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