The Heart of prayer is the relationship it reflects. Until we know who we're talking to, we can't expect to communicate effectively. Jesus teaches us to pray to God as Father. What does that name tell us about God, and about how we should pray?
If we believe that God is our father, we trust his love. Not only does he know what we need, but he wants to provide those needs. We don't have to manipulate him or convince him to take care of us. We can just come to him humbly, like a child, knowing that we will be provided for. There is no doubt in our minds that he is able to provide—do young children ever question whether or not their parents are able to feed them? There is a deep implicit trust. As adults, having been let down many times in the past, it is often difficult to regain this kind of trust. Patience, it will come. The incredible thing about prayer is that God uses it it transform us. By praying first with as much trust as we can muster, more will follow.
We trust that not only does he desire to give, but that he wants to give us good things. God is not waiting behind every corner to punish us. He holds out his hands in love. Jesus talks about earthly fathers, who would never give a son who asked for bread a stone. He says if even evil people take care of their children this way, “how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him!” But there is that qualifier—to those who ask. If we never attempt to communicate with God, do we really believe that he loves us? If we never ask him to provide, do we believe he is able? Our prayers say much about our faith.
The Father's love is manifest in his desire for communion with us. Not only do we seek to know him, but also to be known by him. It is a paradox, but the God who knows all says to some “I never knew you” (Matthew 16:22). He is our loving Father who desires to know us and provide for us.
Of course, parents also expect obedience from their children. This is true today, but was even more important in the first century. To call God “Father” means to submit to his will, to seek his kingdom first. Jesus centered his prayer in John 17 (the longest prayer of Jesus in scripture) on seeking his father's glory. As obedient children, following Christ's example, we pray that our lives will contribute to God's glory.
Relationship is foundational to prayer. As we pray knowing that we are children, we also learn to become better children. The more time we spend with our Father, the more we become like him.
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Practically-Theological Prayer
What is prayer? Quite simply, it is communication with God. But communication is rarely simple.
Prayer is, or should be, the life-breath of any one who claims to follow Jesus. When he said, “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5), he meant it. Disciples are called to pray, but first they must be taught how. Like everything else in the Christian life, we must struggle to learn to center ourselves away from the world and focus on God. We will never become perfect in doing this, just like we never become perfect in obedience to God. But this only gives us hope, for if we fail in the attempt, we know we can learn from it and try again.
Seeing prayer as a learning process is liberating, because failure only teaches us how to do better. For me, it was a little hard to understand how prayer is something you “get better at.” We are all equal in Christ, after all, and God accepts simple prayers. This is true, but even in human relationships, we often have to work to communicate with each other. Just think of how many times we have to say “well, I didn't really mean that, what I meant was...” or “I thought you said you wanted...” If communication doesn't happen perfectly or automatically between humans, what makes us think it will take no effort to communicate well with God? Therefore we have to start with the right attitude towards prayer, namely, humility. When we pray, we recognize that we are doing so imperfectly and seeking to become better. We acknowledge that we need God, not only to answer our prayers, but to help us pray!
Of course, the very act of prayer suggests our need for God. If we do not pray, we will fall into the trap of believing that we are self-sufficient creatures, and God will certainly leave us to our own devices. But when we humbly acknowledge our neediness, and ask for help, God is quick to pour his power and grace into our lives. However, prayer is much more than just asking for things we need. It's also about listening, joyfully attending to God's constant presence. Not taking time to listen to God is to cut off the life-breath of your spirit. Prayer is like breathing: in from God, out to him. It sustains us, refocuses us, and keeps us connected to the vine.
Prayer is, or should be, the life-breath of any one who claims to follow Jesus. When he said, “apart from me, you can do nothing” (John 15:5), he meant it. Disciples are called to pray, but first they must be taught how. Like everything else in the Christian life, we must struggle to learn to center ourselves away from the world and focus on God. We will never become perfect in doing this, just like we never become perfect in obedience to God. But this only gives us hope, for if we fail in the attempt, we know we can learn from it and try again.
Seeing prayer as a learning process is liberating, because failure only teaches us how to do better. For me, it was a little hard to understand how prayer is something you “get better at.” We are all equal in Christ, after all, and God accepts simple prayers. This is true, but even in human relationships, we often have to work to communicate with each other. Just think of how many times we have to say “well, I didn't really mean that, what I meant was...” or “I thought you said you wanted...” If communication doesn't happen perfectly or automatically between humans, what makes us think it will take no effort to communicate well with God? Therefore we have to start with the right attitude towards prayer, namely, humility. When we pray, we recognize that we are doing so imperfectly and seeking to become better. We acknowledge that we need God, not only to answer our prayers, but to help us pray!
Of course, the very act of prayer suggests our need for God. If we do not pray, we will fall into the trap of believing that we are self-sufficient creatures, and God will certainly leave us to our own devices. But when we humbly acknowledge our neediness, and ask for help, God is quick to pour his power and grace into our lives. However, prayer is much more than just asking for things we need. It's also about listening, joyfully attending to God's constant presence. Not taking time to listen to God is to cut off the life-breath of your spirit. Prayer is like breathing: in from God, out to him. It sustains us, refocuses us, and keeps us connected to the vine.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Raison D'etre
No one would disagree that prayer is essential to Christian life. But when it comes to actually praying, most of us are uncomfortable. We have a lot of questions that no one seems to ever answer. What kinds of prayers does God like? What kind of language should I use? Is it okay to be angry or complain to God? Can I pray with my eyes open? Is God really even there? Why do we say "in Jesus' name" at the end of our prayers?
The list goes on and on. How do we find answers to these questions? There are a multitude of books that have been written on prayer, but a lot of them are either too fluffy or too dense for people who have time to read them (and let's face it, most of us don't).
This blog exists as a resource that's easy to interact with and less time-consuming than a book. It contains entries on theology- just what is happening when we pray? It will also be practical, giving real prayers as examples. Some of them are poetic, some are just raw expression. There are many ways to talk to God.
Use the tags as a guide. What do you need to know about prayer? What struggles are you facing? Entries will be tagged so that you can find help.
One warning: if you ask God to teach you about prayer, he will. But the first lesson of prayer is humility. If you don't know that you need God, you will never be able to pray. Once you know you need him, you will find him in ways you never imagined possible.
The list goes on and on. How do we find answers to these questions? There are a multitude of books that have been written on prayer, but a lot of them are either too fluffy or too dense for people who have time to read them (and let's face it, most of us don't).
This blog exists as a resource that's easy to interact with and less time-consuming than a book. It contains entries on theology- just what is happening when we pray? It will also be practical, giving real prayers as examples. Some of them are poetic, some are just raw expression. There are many ways to talk to God.
Use the tags as a guide. What do you need to know about prayer? What struggles are you facing? Entries will be tagged so that you can find help.
One warning: if you ask God to teach you about prayer, he will. But the first lesson of prayer is humility. If you don't know that you need God, you will never be able to pray. Once you know you need him, you will find him in ways you never imagined possible.
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