The words of Psalm 95 came to my mind as I stirred from sleep. That may sound like a holy moment, but I shook my head in frustration. Apparently I had to start over the first psalm of Morning Prayer for the third time! Prayer is one of those things that sometimes flows like a rushing river. It sweeps us away and we can barely stop it if we want to. Other times, prayer feels like the most lonely obligation imaginable, reciting pre-written words into the emptiness. Building a prayer life is neither easy nor automatic. Most mystics agree that God purifies our intentions by intentionally weaning us off of the pleasant feelings that prayer can give. He wants us to desire him, not the pleasure of resting with him. This is the explanation given when we inevitably leave prayer’s honeymoon stage and must decide what we will do when the road becomes harder. Like a married couple whose infatuation has worn off, prayer takes a turn where our faithfulness, sacrifice, and love blend into ...