PRAYER FOR THE DESIRE TO PRAY


   Dear Lord, give me a growing desire to pray.  It remains so hard
for me to give my time generously to you.  I am still greedy for
time - time to be useful, effective, successful, time to perform,
 excel, produce.  But you, O Lord, ask nothing else than my 
simple presence, my humble recognition of my nakedness, my 
defenseless confession of my sins, so that you can let the rays of
your love enter my heart and give me the deep knowledge that I can
love because you have loved me first, and that I can do good because
you have shown me your goodness first.
   What holds me back?  What makes me so hesitant and stingy, so 
careful and calculating?  Do I still doubt that I need nothing 
besides you?  Do I still want to build up some kind of reserve in
case you might not come through?  Please, Lord, help me give up these
immature games, and let me love you freely, boldly, courageously
and generously.  Amen.


                                        - Father Henri Nouwen