I play at playing piano.  My husband is my main audience. I once asked him if he was tiring of hearing me practice the same piece of music over and over.  His sweet reply… “I would never grow weary of hearing you say, ‘I love you,’ no matter how many times you said it, and your playing is the same.”

I’m glad he feels that way because, all too often, I find myself fighting the music. As a pianist, I jump into a piece, eager for mastery.  My dominant right hand catches on quickly and is very adept at taking over.  I practice and practice. Frustration grows as I hear the same mistakes over and over. Unfortunately, my frenzied approach to the piano often ends in noise rather than music.

Success eludes me until I force myself to slow down and practice each hand separately. With very little effort, the music starts to reveal itself.  Insight grows as to the intent of the composer. Patterns within the piece emerge.  Notes I’ve never attended to appear.  By taking my time and breaking the lines apart, I not only work out the trouble spots, but find that the beauty, here to fore lying innate, comes to life.  It is as though the process of my surrendering allows the spirit of the music to be released.

My struggles in prayer often resemble my struggles in music.  I go into prayer looking for a quick fix. My overconfident, outer self brings a schedule, appropriate scriptures, a prayer list, and a pen.  I pray in a fashion that is comfortable and over which I have some competence.  Many times, I feel that I am not really connecting with the Master.  All too often, I notice I am throwing words and phrases into the air like stray notes.

What God is seeking is a relationship, not just a list of requests.  He makes Himself available for companionship, praise, submission, and receptivity to His instruction.  As we truly draw near to Him, His essence is revealed.  How many times have I bowed my head without also submitting my mind and yielding my heart?

My busy mind brings with it the clatter of life.  We live in a world of distractions.  To successfully be present with God, we must set aside the outer chaos that we think we have control of to make room for the quiet subtleties and nuances of God’s voice.  As we listen for the simplicity of His calling, while desiring the constancy of His truth, we will find peace in the patterns of His responses.

Competency is an illusion.  Without Him, we are nothing.  As in music, I am learning to slow down.  We must take the time to break apart our dreams and desires and lay them at the feet of Jesus.  The Bible promises that we will be heard. Our prayers will be answered.

We are God’s compositions…His masterpieces. God knows all before we come to Him in prayer.  In prayer, we are coming to know more about our Father, as well as learning about the state of our own heart. We come to see the hidden secrets, the unnoticed blessings, and the music of who we are in Him.

In a truly prayerful state, when the outer self has quieted and the inner self has surrendered to God’s presence, the symphony of our soul can be heard.  We are playing a love song to the Creator, and we have God’s promise that He will never tire of the melody.