I don’t know about anyone else, but I confess, I’m not very good at praying. It seems that all Christian leaders encourage prayer. I’ve heard a lot of them say how we should not just pray, but pray with confidence, informally, as a child talking to their father. Some even say that we should claim God’s blessings in Jesus name and that if we are timid, we are being unbelieving and insulting God. 
Somehow the “Hey, Pops, I got a list of things I claim in Jesus’ name from you,” approach doesn’t work for me. When I consider Isaiah’s and Ezekiel’s vison of smoke and lightening and burning angels (Seraphim) falling down continually shouting, GLORY GLORY GLORY!, or the rumblings and shaking of the earth when He spoke that terrified the children of Israel at the foot of Sinai, leaves me with a different idea. What business does a putrid little maggot of a chronic sinner have approaching the throne of the almighty creator of the universe? After bending the knee and folding the hands, words have a tendency to escape me.
“The heavens declare the glory of God and the sky above proclaims his handiwork.” (Ps 19:1) The first six verse of Psalm 19 describe one tiny aspect of creation proclaiming God’s awesome power and glory.
One of my classmates fathers was a marine corps colonel and a Vietnam vet. Col. Gardener was about 6’4” with a close cut flat-top haircut and a face with features that could have been carved out of flint. We dreaded the idea that he might look at us. But when he spoke, his voice revealed a gentleness and humility that few men possess. He once stood in front of us in his dress blue uniform and told us that if we ever were in a position where we just didn’t know what to pray that we should open the Bible and just pray the Psalms – we couldn’t go wrong that way.
The precepts of the Lord are right,
rejoicing the heart;
the commandment of the Lord is pure,
enlightening the eyes;
the fear of the Lord is clean,
enduring forever;
the rules of the Lord are true,
and righteous altogether.
More to be desired are they than gold,
even much fine gold;
sweeter also than honey
and drippings of the honeycomb.
I’m not much of a prayer, but Col. Gardener’s advice makes more sense to me than a lot of preachers I’ve heard over the years. The perfection of God and his law are awe inspiring to a simple sinner like myself. But in the psalm He deigns to give me the very words to pray, “ “Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins; let them not have dominion over me!, Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer.” (Ps 19: 12 & 14)
Now that’s a prayer to which I can confidently say AMEN!
About the Author: Scott Miller is a 4 1/2 year member at University Lutheran and presently serving as one of the elders. He is married to Jackie and is the father of Joel and Josiah. He works as a lawyer in a state agency in Tallahassee.