Why Do I Even Bother To Pray Poem by Joe Fraccalvieri

Why do I even bother to pray...
When, after all… You already know
What I'm getting ready to say

You know the number of hairs
that remain on my head…
Know when I'm hungry--
or when I'm lying in bed

You know my every thought…
The evil I fought…
The groceries I bought…
The fish that I caught

And You know of the things
of which I am blind…
The way memory brings
emotions to mind…
Some I abhor-- some I adore…
But mostly I find
the ones that are kind

You know why I'm here…
You know what I hope for…
You know what I fear
You know what I love--
and those I hold dear
And while you watch from above
You see the pain that I bear
You didn't really need
to hear every prayer
Yet you listened to each word
with patience and care

I'm thankful for You…
For all that You are…
For all that You do…

For the life that you gave me--
and for the life that I'm in…
Thank you for the son that you sent
to die on the cross by taking my sin

If it weren't for You,
I don't know where I'd have been
I now understand the reason to pray…
The world that I share…
For each blessed day

For each breath that I take…
Every move that I make
And the birds that I see
as they fly through the air
are reminders for me--
that You'll always be there