In How Can I Cultivate Private Prayer, Joel Beeke’s third way to take hold of yourself is to speak with sincerity in prayer.  He notes Psalm 62:8 which calls for us to pour out our heart to God.  We cannot just mouth words; the heart, indeed our whole being, is to be involved.

Beeke expands on this thought by quoting Thomas Brooks:

God looks not at the elegancy of your prayers, to see how neat they are; nor yet at the geometry of your prayers to see how long they are; nor yet at the arithmetic of your prayers, to see how many they are; nor yet at the music of your prayers, nor yet at the sweetness of your voice, nor yet at the logic of your prayers; but at the sincerity of your prayers, how hearty they are.

So how hearty are my prayers?  Am I simply mouthing requests without feeling?  Going through the motions of praying through my prayer list?

Or am I crying out to God for help?  Am I groaning for his intervention?  Pleading for his grace and mercy?  Rejoicing in his blessings?

Where is my heart?  And where is yours?