We are exhorted in the Scriptures to pray unceasingly and in everything. And we see many examples of people who prayed continuously. Jesus, Daniel and his friends, the Apostle Paul, David (Look at all his psalms), John, Acts 6 mentions that the apostles were devoting themselves to prayer along with the ministry of the word. Everywhere you look in the Bible people are either praying or being exhorted to pray. Why? Because our relationship with God consists of prayer and we can support each other in our everyday life battles and advance the kingdom of God in prayer.
But let us ask ourselves, how is our prayer life with God, really? I am not trying make anyone or myself feel guilty, let's just be honest. That's really the only way to begin to change is to embrace the truth. About 25+ years ago, I had to ask myself that question because my spirituality or lack thereof wasn't cutting it. Oh, I knew my Bible chapter and verse and my doctrine and theology and I had asked Jesus into my life when I was 20. But I wasn't really talking to God very much and I wasn't really depending on Him that much to handle life. We weren't doing life together. And I couldn't seem to make myself pray. I mean why pray when you can worry!
So I started searching, investigating the various Christian movements, denominations, revivals and so on throughout church history. I was looking for the key that would make Howard pray. When I started I think I was looking for an experience with God that would zap me, revolutionize my prayer life and set me on fire. What I discovered was a way of prayer rather than a spiritual experience. Spiritual experiences are wonderful things but either you have them or you don't and they don't seem to change most people for very long in most cases. Just look in the Scriptures and church history, if you don't believe me. Just look honestly at our own lives.
Back to the way of prayer I discovered and it's not new by the way, it's been around for millennia. Are you ready? They are called written or memorized prayers. They are called psalms and hymns and spiritual songs. And yes, the prayerful reading of Scripture is prayer, God speaking to us. And yes, even the liturgies in churches are prayers. And yes, the Sacraments are prayers and guess what we can live a life of prayer. And there is more, much more.
What's wrong with extemporaneous prayers aka praying in our own words? Absolutely nothing. In fact, we better be praying those too. But if you are like me, I am pretty unimaginative and I am tongue-tied and wound up inside, a bundle of inexpressible feelings. So if I could last 5 minutes, I was doing good! Oh yeah! Not enough! I was going down!
Besides there is one more thing we need to realize is that we have a spiritual mortal enemy of our souls who doesn't want us praying and he and his minions do whatever they can to disrupt our prayers.
Is that a ham and cheese sandwich in the refrigerator that I hear calling my name? I wonder what is on the morning news? Oh man, I am dreading what I have to face today. They are called distractions and temptations and they don't always originate with us.
More later, folks.
Amen! Prayer is about us and God in Real life.
ReplyDelete