When you pray, do not keep on babbling.--Matthew 6:7 NIV

Certain phrases sound so pious that we string them together and call it
prayer. Much of the time we don't even think about what we're saying:
"Lord, be with me as I go on this trip." Jesus said, "Surely I am with
you always" ( Matthew 28:20 NIV). We don't need to ask God to be with us
if we're members of His family; we just need to become more aware of His
presence. Asking God to be with us when He's already there, is a kind of
"babbling."

Another kind is heard at the dinner table. We sit down to a nutritional
nightmare: the grease is bubbling, the salt is glistening, the food is
piled up like a mountain, the sugared drink stands ready to slosh it all
down. "Bless this food to the strength and nourishment of our body." Are
you kidding? We are to "honour God with our body" (See 1 Corinthians
6:20). Asking God to bless junk food and give it nutritional value is
like asking Him to make Detroit the capitol of California.

God doesn't want you to pile up impressive phrases or use words without
thinking about their meaning. He wants you to talk from your heart - as
you would to a parent you love and trust. Listen: "You will seek Me and
find Me when you seek Me with all your heart" ( Jeremiah 29:13 NIV). God
knows how you feel - and He cares. Nothing matters as much to Him as
what's going on in your life right now. So talk to Him - from your
heart!