God, I don’t want to be here in prayer because I treasure other things over You and because I struggle to believe You really answer. But I want to believe it, and I know that praying to You is the best shot I’ve got at really growing close to You. So here I am. Here is the list of names that I need to be praying for. Here is the one sin that I can think of to confess. Here is my one second of silence in which I will try to listen. I’m sorry it’s not much of a prayer, but no matter how futile of an effort it is, please take my two fish sticks and 5 slices of Wonder Bread and multiply them for Your purpose. Please don’t turn me away. Amen.

I truly believe that God is pleased with a prayer like that. Not because He wants your prayers or your faith to stay like that, but because you are coming before him honestly. He knows what’s behind your triteness, your disinterest, and your disbelief, and He can speak to those issues if you invite Him to do so. In many ways, that’s what a prayer of obedience is: a confession of sin, a plea for greater faith, and a demonstration that you are acknowledging God as the One Who makes your prayers worth anything. It’s an invitation for God to be God.