on bended knee

I'm never really sure how to approach God. I know how that may sound, just pray, right? But it's different for me. I feel like prayer has turned into demands, constant requests. God please do this, God can you do this, God help change this ect. What I mean by approach is basically how do I have a conversation with God. Like, OK God, I'll bring the coffee, you pull up a chair, let's chat. That's what I want. I sat in the quiet of our kitchen today, wondering about it. Asking Him basically how exactly do we do this thing. Do I have to speak out loud? Or when I'm speaking in my mind, is that good enough? Does that work? Do I have to have my eyes closed, my hands clasped together in prayer? Or is that all neither here nor there? I suppose there's probably not a prerequisite for talking to God, though. So I decided I'd go old school. I went into our living room, got down on my knees and surrendered, so to speak. It felt good. It felt so basic, simple. I was reminded of a verse I read the other day:

For we live by faith, not by sight. - 2 Corinthians 5:7

That's what I did, by faith I laid it out there for God. I can't see him. But I have faith that He is with me. Really I suppose I could have a cup of joe with Him. But the knees thing just worked today. It wasn't some magnificent speech or anything. I spoke out loud a little, I spoke in my mind a little….Here's my next question, now that I maybe have the approach down. How do you know when God is speaking back? It's night like a thundering voice, that answers and shakes the walls? When I think I here Him, is it really just my mind giving me the answer I think I want? Or is that little quiet reply really God providing his half of the conversation?

This is what I came away with today from our heart to heart:

My home is full of life in abundance. Everywhere I look are signs of life. Toys strewn everywhere, shelves full of books to be read, walls lined with pictures of family, noises that signify life. Husband snores, child's babble, dog's collar tinking with movement, my own deep breaths. My meditation on Him, the holy of holy's. Come Lord, fill our home. Spread love, peace and joy. The one thing that keeps ringing in my head:

You have life in abundance, don't waste it on trivial things.