SO WHAT DOES A MANTIS PRAY ABOUT?

Pastor Rick Warren reminds us in a daily devotional that "hurry kills prayer". Good point. When we go to God as a ritual that we have to do but we have other things we want to get to, well, you see what he means.

Only recently have I begun praying before I read scripture, asking the Holy Spirit to reveal to me what I should be noticing specifically. Like learning a new word, I start seeing it everywhere and wonder why I had never noticed it used so many times before. In God's Holy Word, there may be verses I've seemingly read twenty, fifty, even 100 times in my life, but never was cognizant of something that had been there all the time. From what I've learned is that I simply wasn't ready in my spiritual maturity for that truth in scripture. Or it could be better applied to my life just at that moment and that's why it was not revealed to me in earlier readings.

In both cases, it may have been not entering into the presence of the Lord in the right frame of mind. Having the wrong focus, which is very easy for me to do. Never one to be task-oriented, I most often prefer to complete a task to be able to get to what I want to do. It should never be that way with God. Slow down and enjoy. As Rev. Warren suggests, take a deep breath before praying to relieve the troubles of the world and devote (as in devotional) your full attention on the Lord.

Learn from the supplicating mantis. Pray often. Bend that knee and get into the position of offering worship to The Creator. Praise Him and be thankful. Confess, ask forgiveness, and repent. Then you can petition Him with asking for blessings. But don't get in a hurry. Take your time, especially on the praise and thanks parts. Finally, make your requests specific. Oh, God knows what you desire, but verbalize them to Him: it will help you see what you truly need.

I don't know a lot about the stick bug or praying mantis or even if a stick bug is the same thing as a praying mantis. But I figure he's a good bug with a good heart.