Empty feeling prayers

Sometimes when I pray I feel alight and alive, filled with joy and energy. Other times I feel  nothing; the words of the prayer book are just sounds my mouth makes, echoing in an empty room, and in the free prayer time I can't think of anything to say.

When I leave prayer time rejoicing I praise God for it, but when I leave feeling flat and disgruntled I feel guilty and apologise to God for not doing better. This morning was just such a 'nothing/empty words' time and, when I began to apologise, I felt God saying this;

          Don't put yourself down just because you didn't feel good during prayers.
          Feeling is irrelevant. Your prayers are surely heard, no matter how good 
          or bad you feel during or after them. You have set aside time to pray, time 
          to be with God, and that's what matters.

          I don't act on prayers according to how much you felt them. I act on all
          prayers because they are addressed to Me. If you feel good afterwards,
          that is a bonus. My Spirit still flows through you, whether you feel it or not.


Wow! What a loving God we have! Praise His name!

Mother Julian  bellsofnorwich.net