When the snow flies in Michigan, I like to get my grandkids, grab our plastic sleds, and go slipping and sliding down our backyard. We zoom down the hill for about 10 seconds and then climb back up for more. When I travel to Alaska with a bunch of teenagers, we also go sledding. We are hauled by bus nearly to the top of a mountain. We jump on our sleds and, for the next 10-20 minutes (depending on levels of bravery), we slide at breakneck speeds down the mountain, holding on for dear life. Ten seconds in my backyard or 10 minutes down an Alaskan mountain. They're both called sledding, but there is clearly a difference.
I've been thinking about this in regard to prayer. Sometimes we do the "10 seconds in the backyard" kind of praying - a quick, spur-of-the-moment prayer or a short thanks before eating. At other times, we're dawn to "down the mountain" praying - extended, intense times that require concentration and passion in our relationship with Him. Both have their place and are vital to our lives. Jesus prayed often, and sometimes for a long time (Luke 6:12; Mark 14:32-42). Either way, let us bring the desires of our heart to the God of the backyards and the mountains of our lives. The heart of prayer is a prayer from the heart.
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