Perfection! That's what I want. "I know I am a good person, but most of my prayers never get answered. I finally found out why. My pastor told me what I was doing wrong. I did not end my prayers with, 'In the precious name of Jesus, I pray this prayer. Amen.'" How simple. How easy.

If this is the case -- and I don't remember this requirement in the Bible and no one that I have met has ever explained this to me -- then why can't everyone do this? If this perfect prayer is true, we're all going to win the lottery, end all the wars, have only our party run congress, control the weather and the list goes on ad infinitum.

When we begin to fact-check our information by reading our Bible, prayer is not that easy to define with absolute certainty as prayer has been used in remarkable ways: from magic to conversation, question to answer, despair to thanksgiving. In most every situation, prayers are directing thoughts to the Almighty God. Psalm 65:2. "You, who hears prayer."

I immediately think of poor old Job who ranted and raved at God. While some may see him as simply shouting out his frustrations at a God who doesn't care about the plight of some human being who just might be testing this man's faith, he could be a man who was praying as best he could after his home, his family and his possessions were destroyed and he sat in pain and misery.

Then there was Solomon who prayed for wisdom and his prayer was answered in bushels.

For me, I always go to The New Testament and look to Jesus as the paradigm or model any time I have a question or need an answer. Jesus prayed when times were stressful, when He had a difficult choice to make and was willing to accept the outcome. "Take this cup from me ... nevertheless, Your will be done."

Jesus told us to make our prayers private and not public, not wordy or mechanical and that our prayers don't have to be in the church and at the holy hour of 11 a.m. The faithful are not required to sit with eyes closed and say amen only at the appropriate moments, which I have not been able to figure out.

I pray to God and I know that He came looking for and finding me through His Son Jesus Christ. I never ask, "Why me?"

My prayers are fairly simple, as they are mine. I pray for rain, family, the end of war, my lovely wife, understanding, more brains, to be a good and kind man and that someone will invent fat-free, great-tasting Rocky Road ice cream.

I thank God for a nice day, a soft breeze, a quiet moment and ask Him to forgive me when I do something dumb.

I believe that we pray to a very wise God who won't answer all of our prayers because there are a lot that are better unanswered.

I would like to be perfect in prayer and realize that perfection is just unattainable. I told Julie about this. She smiled at me and said, "Sugar, don't be silly. You are a perfect Doofus."

That Julie is the sweetest woman.

Thanks, God!