I don't pray as well as I should. I don't pray as often as I should. Worse yet, I don't even want to pray as often as I should.

I don't know how to pray. I don't know how prayer works. I don't know why prayer works. But it works.

Quite a confession from one who has been involved in the national and global prayer movements since their beginnings. But I have discovered that the more I pray, and the more experience I have in prayer, the more the above statements are true.

I used to think I prayed pretty well. I thought I knew all about prayer. It finally dawned on me that I didn't even have a clue, and it has changed everything.

Every genuine prayer is first born in the heart of God. Even my ought comes from Him. The call to prayer comes from Him. The subject of prayer comes from Him. The blessing of prayer comes from Him. The words to pray come from Him. Even the non-words to pray come from Him.

Just as Adam and Eve heard God walking in the cool of the evening, we can hear God approaching at the time of prayer. He initiates the conversation. He fellowships with us. He knows our heart and mind, and puts into our desires and thoughts the very things He is eager to accomplish.

I don't pray, God prays for me! What an amazing thought! What an amazing partnership! It's all about Him!

Gary Burns is the communication director of the Lake Union Conference.