Love and Prayer

"This is the only way to get to know Jesus: speak to Him! You will always find in Him a Father, a Friend, an Adviser, a Helper in all the noble deeds of your everyday life. And getting to know Him will give rise to Love."  
- St.Josemaria Escriva (The Furrow,662)

So often I go about prayer the wrong way. I turn it into an obligation. I feel like I have to do certain things to prove my love for Him. When I try it this way my prayer usually sounds emotionless like I'm just rattling off compliments or things I know to be true but not taking the time to understand and full mean them.

It's so much better when I just take to time to really talk to Him. Let it all out. I have lots of times where I just feel lonely. I think God allows me to have these feelings so I will turn to Him and pour it all out.

I often think of needing to earn things from God...His love,"time",mercy. But nobody can earn these things. When I feel so completely unworthy of His love and think He couldn't possibly want me to approach Him because I don't deserve it I have to just stop and trust. I know He wants me to come to Him - I mean,look at the book of psalms! God is called our refuge,shelter and strength countless times. He loves us so much...