"The Real Prayer"

"He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer." (Psalms 102:17)
Something we really need to understand about our Heavenly Father, is that He is a Father; not only a Father, but He is your Father and He is my Father. He is not just some distant figure that we hope understands our prayer, or that we hope is paying attention when we cry out for help; He is touched by our cries for help, and He knows exactly what we need before we even ask for it. I think if we just could assure ourselves in this truth, then we might spend more time in prayer than we actually do. I would guess that the average Christian might spend about 30 minutes in prayer each day, if they make praying a routine part of the daily activities. I hate to say it, but there are probably a whole lot of people who claim to be Christian but seldom pray at all. My prayer life has not been what it should be, but I truly do pray every day; but I can sure tell the difference between a prayer that is offered up to God and a prayer that is one where I am communicating with my Heavenly Father. This word for "destitute" is only used twice in the Hebrew text; here in this verse and again in Jeremiah 17:6. It basically means, naked, poor, and helpless. These are the things that we need spiritually in this fallen world in which we live, and only our Heavenly Father can assist us with these needs. Jesus spoke on these things when teaching His disciples who to pray to and how we are to pray. I don't care how successful you are or how much money that you have or how well situated you might think that you are, in the spiritual sense, you are naked, poor, and helpless without God! When we pray, our prayer needs to be directed to our Heavenly Father, just as if we were a child speaking to their earthly father. It is not as if we casually speak, but that we make our request and petition known, as we know that He is listening and cares what we ask for. The only prayer that God will despise is the prayer that is not needy; a prayer that is made as if to say, 'I have everything under control, so thank you anyway.' We can never ever begin to imagine we have it all under control, because it is only by God's grace and mercy that the world keeps on spinning...
"This is what the LORD says: "You will be in Babylon for seventy years. But then I will come and do for you all the good things I have promised, and I will bring you home again. For I know the plans I have for you," says the LORD. "They are plans for good and not for disaster, to give you a future and a hope. In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me. I will be found by you," says the LORD. "I will end your captivity and restore your fortunes. I will gather you out of the nations where I sent you and will bring you home again to your own land."" (Jeremiah 29:10-14) NLT