Years ago many devoted preachers and Sunday School teachers were fond of telling people to “pray hard.” Well-meaning as this advice was, it was mistaken. I often tell people to pray “soft,” which of course, means gently.
I do this because I know that the more quietly and gently we pray, the better results we get. In prayer, as in many other activities, effort defeats itself. More than once I have said to my congregation, “Pray with a feather – not with a pickax.”
Always pray gently, and especially if you have a good deal of fear, or if your difficulty seems to be a very important one.
For thou, Lord, art good, and ready to forgive; and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call upon thee (Psalm 86:5).
This not to confuse fervent prayer with “hard” prayer”. We are to pray with feeling lest we simply mouth words that mean nothing. But we are succumbing to vanity and pride when we think that praying longer or more willfully is the way to answered prayers. We must assume the opposite mindset when communicating with God. Our faith is manifested in quiet acceptance of God’s primacy, not in our ability to will certain outcomes. It is when we release the ego, will and desire for self-determination, that God flows through us in majesty and might.
When we act according to God’s will and live according to our faith, then we have the confidence given by God upon which successful prayer is founded. So, pray fervently, regularly and with quiet belief that God’s will brings our best good in all circumstances. Then we can turn over our fears, pains and problems to our loving God with confidence in God’s promises to us. Then, we can awaken each day in our gardens and tend them with joy, hope and certainty that all our prayers are being answered in the best way.
Praying softly,
Z gardener
Good Morning Garden 
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