When you pray, you shall not be as the hypocrites, for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen by men. Most assuredly, I tell you, they have received their reward. Matthew 6:5 WEB.

It was a hot summer day in the South, and Dad and I were working on a house for an elderly lady. Dad was repairing some of the woodwork, and I was coming behind him painting it. At noon she invited us in to have lunch with her. So we removed our hats and sat down at the table, and she said a blessing over the food before we ate. Now I try to say a prayer over my food too, but this is one that I will always remember.

She folded her hands, closed her eyes, and bowed her head. Then her voice changed, and she began to speak in a 1700s ancient English dialect. She prayed words I had only read in Shakespeare or the King James Bible. I felt as if we were on the Mount of Transfiguration as she became a completely different person right in front of me, uttering long beautiful words that I barely understood. Even her southern accent seemed to take on an old English overtone, and her pronunciation changed. I watched her with one eye to see if she would levitate up from her chair.

After what seemed to be several minutes, her prayer ended, and she became herself again. I felt like I had just seen something from the movie "The Exorcist," and I clenched my knife a little tighter for the rest of the meal. She was a southern belle that had learned religion by rote, and she prayed in King James English. You used to see a lot of that here. She thought she sounded 'Holier,' but it was just 'Scarier.'

When you pray, be yourself. Don't make God scratch His head and say, "Well, he looks like Dion, but he sounds like Shakespeare? Dion, is that you? What happened to you?" I am sure that God would understand, but He hasn't heard that dialect in a while.

Hypocrite means actor, someone impersonating someone else. God created you to be who you are, and He put you here for such a time as this. When you speak to Him, be your everyday self, and don't be ashamed to pray because you don't have the fancy words you have heard others use. They may be faking it to impress you, and that's all the reward they will receive.

You are who He created you to be, and He loves you. When you pretend to be "holier than thou," you are buying into a lie that you are not good enough, that God couldn't love the "real" you. However, nothing could be further from the truth. God has loved you for your entire life, through the ups and the downs. He understands, and He still loves you.

God knows who we are inside, sees us run to the bathroom. He watches us in traffic, so don't think you will flatter Him with pretty words. God is the Awesome, Omnipresent, Unchangeable, Loving, Merciful, and Patient Creator of the Universe, and He made you. So be yourself, especially when praying. The superficial is everywhere, while the real thing is rare and beautiful.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I thank You for loving me just as I am. You made me, and I am here before You in prayer. It's me, Lord. I want You to know that I am thinking of You today and want more of You in my life. In the name of Jesus Christ, I pray. Amen!

Note: 'Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your request to God.' (Philippians 4:6-7) ~ If you have a prayer need, we are here for you! We and the prayer team are ready to lift you up at our private prayer page: RHM Prayer Network

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