Pierre-Édouard Frère (1819-1886)

As one who often struggles with prayer—fighting for words, for focus, confused and heartsick over many things—I took comfort this morning in the words of Patrick Gray.

Preaching a series on the prayer the Lord taught his disciples to pray, Patrick reminded us that when we pray to “Our Father who art in heaven …” there are two listeners in heaven who hear us and that Jesus, who knows all we experience, interprets our prayers. That even when we feel we have just prayed the worst prayer ever, heaven doesn’t drop our call. Instead, Jesus leans over to the Father and says, “What she is really trying to say is …”