Simple Prayers

Nowadays, I usually don't ask for little things. For the most part I have tried to focus my prayers on the bigger picture or the long view. I've been asking the more difficult requests that probably won't be answered right away, (eg; world peace, end to abortion, all the souls in purgatory ect...)  On the more self directed prayers, I have been asking for help to be a better follower of Christ, discerning His will and increasing in holiness  I will admit that in the past I had some pretty shallow prayers. More like vanity prayers. All about me and my shallow not very spiritual desires. Thankfully, I have mostly grown out of that. Yet, there are simple prayers and I finally took advantage of asking for simple things. I recently read Story of a Soul by St. Therese de Lisieux. Her spirituality is a simple spirituality. She wrote that she is was small and weak to do big things like go to far off lands and preaching the gospel so she would offer up little sacrifices and prayers. She wanted these little sacrifices and prayers to add up to saving many souls that she would otherwise not be able to personally minister to. This was her way and she is an extremely popular Saint because her little way is more accessible to the masses. In other words, an intellectual and spiritual lightweight like myself can subscribe to this sort of spirituality.  However, unlike St. Therese, my simple prayers were not of any spiritual significance or growth. Or maybe they are in some ways. The other day I was trying to drill a hole in the wall to install a shelf. The drill bit got stuck in the wall and I got very frustrated. Each attempt at trying to get it out would fail and I almost said some bad words and I almost took the Lord's name in vane. Finally, I said out loud, "God, please help me get this drill bit out. I don't want to say bad words and sin. Please help me!"
I tried one more time, screwing the drill back onto the bit and the bit finally came out. Prayers answered! It seems like a silly and shallow prayer but it came down to this: I found myself at risk for committing some sins and I needed God's help so that I wouldn't commit any mortal or venial sin. I just went to confession a few days ago and I really want it to last. I can't do it on my own. I needed God's help. Ask and ye shall receive. Even if it's a simple thing, I received the help I needed.
Then last night, I had some worries about things that weighed heavily on me and kept me awake. I obsessed over the problem and tossed and turned. I found myself aimlessly calling out to Jesus but wasn't even sure what I should be asking. Then, I remembered in my spiritual journaling, Jesus had already told me what I needed to do and I hadn't been doing it. I decided to pick up my journal and write. I acknowledged to Jesus that He gave me the answers but I failed to listen. I told Him my woes and  that I needed His help again. I told Him that I needed to be able to get to sleep so that I could start fresh and finally do what He told me to do. I closed my journal, turn out the lights and was out just like that. I slept really well. Praise God, another prayer answered.
I used to frown upon simple prayers. I would confuse them with vane prayers. But there is a difference. Simple prayers are asking for simple things that are not necessarily the end in themselves but the means to the end. I didn't want to sin so I asked for help with a drill bit so I wouldn't risk sinning when things didn't go my way. Or, I needed to sleep so I could be ready to do what the Lord asked me to do the next day so I prayed for a good night's rest. These were simple requests to achieve the greater good. Vane prayers are more self-centered. They're more about wanting stuff or getting one's way for no other reason than for worldly pleasure.  Like praying that you get out of jury duty, (yes, I have done this,) or for the rain to go away so you can do some sport even though maybe the rain was much needed.
Yet, I know from personal experience, God can and does answer vain prayers.  Perhaps to let us know He's there and He does answer even the smallest prayers and hopefully we mature in our spirituality and become less vain and self-centered. And somehow we learn to ask for simple things that add up to bigger things and for the greater good as St. Therese did. She desired to save souls and evangelize but she couldn't in her cloistered life while also being too sick and weak.  So she did the little things that add up to the greater good.
In my case, I was just trying to stay out of trouble and tend to more personal issues that ultimately lead to my own spiritual growth. I know eventually I have to go further and further outside myself and with St. Therese, I have the tools to be an instrument to change and peace.