Prayer

I usually like praying. Though sometimes I anxiously feel the need to try to remind God that, despite my behavior, I actually am a good person. But, imagining that I need to convince God to love me shows that I am afraid that God can only love me if I have perfect behavior. And that simply isn't and never has been true.

I feel connected to God the most when I am just Eric. Just genuine. Because I want to follow Christ's teachings, there will always be ways to improve. But I want to, and I want to follow Him more than anything. And He knows that. So, I don't need to try to prove my heart's desires to God; He already knows that I am sincerely trying. 

One easy way to be more open with God is to tell Him about what is going on during the day. It makes it feel more like a father/son relationship. Because even though He already knows what's going on, He actually does care to hear about it. It's like when I talk to my nephews on the phone. Even though I know that they only do a couple of things every day I love to hear them describe it all. It's adorable and I love to hear them talk. Similarly, I have felt God's excitement for me as I have told Him about things I like, hate, and am doing. It helps me feel closer to Him. And coming closer to God feels good.

Learn more about prayer here.