Prayer

I have realized lately that I don't pray enough - I have realized this in a few ways.....
1) I have been studying the church in school these days and one thing I have realized is how much we need each other - we are not complete without our brothers and sisters that make up this mysterious Body of Christ - and in that, I realized that the oneness that we are to strive for is IMPOSSIBLE without the work of the Spirit in each of our lives - and this means that we have to be dependent upon Him.....So I need to pray
2) I have realized that I need the discipline of coming to God and asking - pleading- for an awareness of His Spirit at work in my life and the lives of others
3) I have enjoyed the times of embrace as I have complained and whined and fussed - and I have been assured of my acceptance, redemption and reconciliation in Christ
4) I have found prayer to be a way to affirm my eager expectation of the return of Christ - asking for things now because all things have not yet been placed in subjection to Jesus (heb 2) and because of that I have needs and sin and need Jesus to return. Prayer is a way that I can affirm this
5) Jesus told us to do it :)
I have been amazed at how easily I forget to pray - how much I need an attitude of living in Christ's presence to live in love as Jesus commands (and is so eloquently expressed in John's writings) - I have been amazed at how "self-sufficient" I can feel and how prayer takes a sledge hammer to that lie