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The old country preacher said there are three kinds of prayers. One is the kind of prayer when you ask God for something.

Heavens to Betsy, I do that. Most of them are silly, frivolous prayers that must even get on God’s nerves.

Lord, please help me find the car keys, my debit card, my billfold, the scissors, the cat, my shoes.

I lose things so often that nobody even helps me look for them.

Lord, please don’t let it be the transmission. Lord, help me not to crave chocolate. Lord, did I put salt in the potatoes? Lord, where am I supposed to be going?

Asking. Those are the most often prayers that I send up.

Then there are the kinds of prayers when you are “in a bind.” And, Lord knows, I’ve prayed my share of those.

Lord, if you’ll just let me get my feet on the ground you won’t ever catch me on a roller coaster again. Lord, if you just won’t let anybody see me in here, I’ll never step foot in this place again. Lord, if you’ll just get me out of this jam, I promise I’ll think twice before I do anything like this again.

God has gotten my feet back on the ground but I soon forgot my promise. And, since nobody saw me after all – well, it was a fun kind of place. And, I thought twice the next time but did it again anyway.

The Good Lord has gotten me out of a lot of jams but “just one time.”

Pleading. I’m heavy on that, too.

And, then there are the kinds of prayers where we are thanking God for the many things that He has done for us. And, that’s kind of where I’m falling down.

So, many times a day, I have an opportunity to thank God for His many blessings. But it’s usually at night when I close my eyes that I whisper to Him in thanks for family, health, friends, home and freedom and those who defend it.

Not often do I pause to thank God for the sunset that brings the day to a close or the slice of moon or its fullness on a cold, crisp night. Not often do I thank Him for the songs of the night birds or a cool, gentle breeze or the nodding of a springtime flower that signal his presence or the way a smile or a kind word lifts me.

The Bible says that, in all things, we should give thanks to the Lord.

There’s a song or, maybe it’s a poem that says, Whisper a prayer in the morning. Whisper a prayer at noon. Whisper a prayer in the evening to keep your heart in tune.

Whispered prayers are most often those of thanks.

I’m learning to whisper more.