Prayer and Meditation

 Prayer and meditation are two things that I can't do without.  Prayer and meditation are what keep me sane, calm, and collected.  I can always tell when my life gets out of wack it's because I haven't spent enough time with my Creator.  For me, prayer and meditation are ritualistic.  That's what works for me.  I get up in the morning and roll from my bed to my knees and start with praises to God and then my private prayers.  Yes, I ask God for things and He gives them to me if I can handle them or need them.  Sometimes God says no, but I don't know that or his reasoning why until I spend some time in mediation.  

When we initially start praying and meditation; we get stuck on the praying part.  We talk about things we need, we want, what we want for others, etc. and that's where it stands.  Meditation - listening to God is much harder because we have to quit talking and open our ears to God's voice.  Sometimes we don't really like what God has to say but one thing I know for sure, he won't take you places just to drop you in the middle of chaos.