Dear God:

Why do I pray to You? I know that You know what I am going to say before I even say it. I know that You know all the thoughts that enter my mind throughout each day. I know that You know the pangs of my heart, the yearnings within my soul, the desires of my body. I know that You know all of this about me, and even more than I know about myself. So, why do I pray to You?

The only answer I can come up with is this: I want to pray to You. I want to talk to You at the start of my day. I want to check in with You as I go about the business set before me each minute of each day. I want to because I trust that You hear me. I want to because I trust that You will respond to me, even if the response is not what I want. And, most importantly, I want to because I know You will love me, no matter what my prayers entail.

You see, God, there is nobody else who loves me the way You love me. I suppose that is it in a nutshell. You love me with a love that I have not felt anywhere else in my life. I know I can spit and scream at You, and You will still love me. I know I can cry and wail at You, and You will still love me. In fact, I know I can turn and walk away from You, and You will still love me.

So, that’s why I pray to You. Even though I know that You know everything I say before I say it, everything I feel before I feel it, and everything I desire before I desire it, I still want to sit with You, to whisper to You, to listen to You, to rest in Your comforting embrace. I want to pray to You, God, and I need to pray to You, God, because I love You right back. All the greatest love quotes in all the greatest romance movies and books in the world can’t even hold a candle to the feelings in my heart for You, God. Praying to You brings me a peace unexplainable.

With all the gratitude in my heart, I pray…
Jessica