A quote about prayer from John MacArthur who was Greg and my first pastor after we were married in 1974. He got his promotion to heaven July 25th of 2025. Even though we moved far away from our first church and have been active members under other pastors since 1976, we’ve continued to learn and grow from Johnny Mac’s sermons (available at Grace to You) and his books.
“Far from being merely a wish list, godly prayer is fundamentally and inescapably an act of worship. It is an expression of our praise, our unworthiness, our desire to see God’s will fulfilled, and our utter dependence on Him for all our needs. Thus, every aspect of prayer is an act of worship. That includes the petitions we make, because when we properly make our requests known to God–without anxiety, through prayer and supplication, and with thanksgiving (Phil. 4:6)–we are acknowledging His sovereignty, confessing our own total reliance on His grace and power, and looking to Him as Lord, provider, and ruler of the universe–not some kind of celestial Santa. Even when we are making requests, proper prayer is pure worship.”
The stained glass window and photo from the cellars are from Dunfermline Abbey and Palace in Scotland. The window depicts Jesus on the Mount of Olives praying the night he was betrayed with some of his Disciples sleeping nearby.
The cellars afforded Josh, Laura, Greg and me our own mini praise and worship time to our Lord God singing Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow.
The Happy Wonderer ~ ellen b. 
Ellen, what a beautiful post. That quote about prayer being fundamentally an act of worship really resonates with me, especially the reminder that prayer isn’t simply about bringing God our list of wants, but acknowledging who He is, His sovereignty, and our complete dependence upon Him.
I also love that you included the photo from Dunfermline Abbey and Palace. There’s something very fitting about seeing Jesus praying on the Mount of Olives while reflecting on prayer itself. And then the thought of you, Greg, Josh and Laura down in those cellars singing Praise God from Whom All Blessings Flow… what a wonderful picture of worship. I can almost imagine the acoustics down there! I bet that was quite something.
It also made me think about how often prayer and worship become intertwined. Sometimes the most powerful prayers aren’t elaborate words at all. Sometimes it’s simply, “Lord, I need You,” or even just standing in His presence and knowing that He is there.
And that line about God not being “some kind of celestial Santa” made me smile because, well, it’s rather blunt… but absolutely true! Prayer isn’t about trying to persuade God to give us everything on our wishlist. It’s about bringing ourselves before Him, trusting Him even when His answer isn’t the one we were hoping for, and recognising that He knows far better than we do.
Thank you for sharing this, Ellen. And I love that Scotland once again provided the setting for one of those precious memories of worship and fellowship. Praise God from whom all blessings flow indeed. 🙏❤️
What a privilege it is to know that we can go boldly to God in prayer.
…and may you find peace and comfort today and every day.
Wonderful! Thank you Ellen. I enjoyed my trip back to Scotland also. I wish you a very happy day.
What a special memory, “The cellars afforded Josh, Laura, Greg and me our own mini praise and worship time to our Lord God singing Praise God from Whom all Blessings Flow.”