Ecclesiastes 5:1-7

Proper relationship to God does not unfit a person for their actual life.

Rituals in proper form can enhance relationship to the Lord. He gave us a form of prayer that being God He knew would get repeated. There are those so caught up in rituals that they leave Christ out and those that reject both ritual and Christ. Emphasis is on relationship to the Lord.

When do people get religious? Bereavement? caught in a wrong? fear of being caught in a wrong. What is the reaction- remorse? Probably- like a drunk waking up with a headache, sorry for what happened, but does that remorse cause him to change? Probably not. Repentance is the turning away from not an "I'm sorry I did that", which is often code for "I'm sorry you caught me".

Relationship is basking in our Lord, under His wing, quietly learning and doing things His way. Rejecting the temptation to make oaths, and promises we won't keep. There is a definite zeal of resolve when we make those promises but that zeal fades. If during a self righteous zeal we vow to men or God, we should keep it to our own detriment. Far better not to vow than to vow and not and not fulfill. What happens when we realize we aren't keeping those promises? Had we not made them to start with our tendency toward self pity would become a less well worn path.

Where is joy found, only in proper relationship to the Lord. With a constant focus on Him, which leads to a longing to be with Him. We often let our joy fade by looking form our relationship to our Father and toward the circumstances of life. This can be compounded by comparing our situations to those around us. Before long we're in a state of utter despair. At those times where is our focus? On what we think are our needs (really wants). In relationship to the Lord we need to drop our wants and focus on seeing things from His perspective. Self almost assuredly won't be a part of it.

Surrender yourself to the Lord, give Him the right to your self. People often make decisions for Christ but that can be done in an emotional zeal of the moment circumstance. Then what? the zeal fades and we realize we made promises and vows we don't keep. Solution- seek another zeal filled moment - make the same promises knowing this time it will different. Will it? Really? You know it won't. Rather surrender give up admit the truth that you can't do it without Him. Then surrender all areas of your life letting Him remake you in His own image. Its only when we admit our weaknesses that we gain His strength. If we try something out of our own strength, He will not be with us and we will fail.

So how is your life going? Is it going according to your plan or His? Are you focused on the most important relationship in life (with the Lord), or on all the other relationships. Are you miserably basking in the disappointment of relationships, trying to control or steer people and the Lord in the direction you want to go. Or are you quietly basking under His wing. What does He want you to do later today? Tomorrow? Do you know?

In our prayer life, quiet time we should intercede for others. While its true we often don't know the complete ins and outs of another's situation, we can pray that they and the Lord develop relationship. We can pray for their surrender to the Lord.

Another part of our prayer life should be the quiet listening to Him. Letting our perspective be bent to align with His permanently. Not just agreeing for a time but repenting (turning from) any way not of Him. Rejecting the ways in us surrendering to Him and taking His ways.

When we pray for self, there is a temptation toward trying to manipulate the Lord. A trying to explain our ways, justify them to the Lord. Or an attempt of bending Him toward our ways. At the very least bend Him away from His ways we don't want to surrender too. We must surrender self to Him even in our prayer life, listening during the quiet moments for His guidance as to direction, His direction. Not asking Him to go along with our thoughts and plans.