thoughts on "a praying life"

So, this is long overdue. 

I really do have a hard time finishing books.  I find myself starting one, getting antsy, and then starting another one.  But this time, I finished.

I started reading "A Praying Life" by Paul Miller this summer.  If you follow me on Instagram, you've seen me take little snap shots of some of my favorite moments in the book.  Here they all are in one place:

This past summer was the best time for me to be reading this book.  It came alongside me through my crazy story.  It helped me talk to God and listen to God.  Sure, I knew what it was to do those things, but sometimes I just didn't know how.  The how and why is where this book comes in. 

When I think about this book, there are about 5,385 things I will remember from it.  But for today, here are just a few important ones:

1.  Talk to God like you're a kid again.  If you're asking for something, ask for it over and over.  All day.  A million times.  Go off into tangents.  Your mind may wander away and then wander back.  That's okay.  Let the pressure of acting like a sophisticated adult who has it all together fall away.  God knows better anyway.

2. Don't be the determiner of what God cares about and what He doesn't.  He likes the big and the small prayers.  He likes to help you find your lost glasses and he likes to send you a check in the mail from a friend just when you needed it to pay the bills.

3.  God is for real and he is legitimately listening and acting.  If you find yourself disagreeing with that statement, I encourage you to do one thing:  Talk to God genuinely.  Tell him how you feel.  Ask him for what you need.  Ask him for help.  Don't do it with a you-better-prove-it attitude either.  Be genuine and open in your interaction with Him and I believe He will show up.  I'm not saying that if you ask for a new refrigerator that a new refrigerator is going to show up on your doorstep.  But I am saying that God takes care of us in ways we couldn't have come up with on our own sometimes.

If you haven't read this book, I totally recommend it.  It was the tool that God used to spark some new thoughts in my mind, which turned into a complete life change.

Have any of you read it?  What are your thoughts?