While going through When God's People Pray: Six Sessions on the Transforming Power of Prayer (Zondervangroupware(tm) Small Group Edition)
in our church small group, it occurred to me that without prayer, Christians are nothing but pagan philosophers. I doubt I'm the first to think of it this way, and maybe I heard it somewhere else.Praying is not as easy as blogging, arguing, pontificating, listening to the radio, reading. You get the idea.
We were challenged to pray with our spouses over the next two weeks, and, beforehand, choose a number of times as our goal. Nothing magical or romantic about that, but it is part of the necessary discipline.
What in our lives needs to change to make it happen? Am I tired when I get home? Hungry for a meal? Lazy? Too many other distractions? There are good distractions, like family, and less useful distractions like, say, blogging.
I've long contended that we are more apt to complain about people than pray for them.
Politics is one obvious place, as we don't like so-and-so in office or running for office. Have we we prayed for them? No? Then shut up, and get on our knees.
Another common gripe among Christians is people or structures in our own churches. Unless we are praying for them, we are rather full of gas when it comes to wanting change. Unless we ourselves are asking God to change us, and change others, we aren't really interested in change.
I have my number. Got yours?
Update 1/17/07: Started well, skipped a few days, and now am back on track. One day to meet my number, but if my intention is to merely 'make goal', then I will have missed the point of consistent prayer. A relationship with God is not about checklisting, but a constancy that transcends schedules and other impediments.There is more to say on prayer, but talk is cheap, so, for now, this'll be enough.
PS: As suggested through a response from Justice:
Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home
Prayer
Celebration of Discipline: The Path to Spiritual Growth
(see my review)
6 comments:
TT,
You're observation of the ease of doing anything BUT prayer has been my personal discovery. I recommend a very insightful book by Richard Foster entitled, Prayer: Finding the Heart's True Home. He is wise and thorough and relly aides us to use and discover prayer as a means of getting our hearts in tune with God - or as you might quip: Nothing says "It ain't about me" like gettin' on your knees! :D
Another fine little book which knocks the teeth out of "religious" and "high-falutin'" prayers is Prayer: conversing with God by Rosalind Rinker.
She has really practical and earthy insights that make her little book a life-changing classic.
I'd talk more, but I got to go pray - ehrrrm - 'talk with my Daddy'! ;)
peace
justice
Excellent suggestions. I am well familiar with Richard J Foster's very famous Celebration of Discipline, and have read all too quickly through Prayer.
Applying what I have read is the harder part of the dynamic. Until I do, even this post feels out of place. I'll take "high-falutin'" prayers if it means I am praying. Second best, but better than third best.
Thanks for the blog entry on prayer. Good to stimulate the mind on this important topic.
My favorite encouragements come straight from the Bible itself, from Jesus and the apostle Paul.
Using Bible Gateway, I found this verse calling for intercession for all people and those in authority (from Apostle Paul)1 Timothy 2:1-7.
More verses on Intercessory prayer: Biblegateway Torrey's Topical Index on Intercessory Prayer.
I want to add that prayer isn't easy in my world, for most in this culture I guess, perhaps because it's not entertaining, and so much work as we think of it. It's not hard, but it requires some discipline and focus. I used to believe that prayer was what my life was all about and that it was more important to hear God vs. speak to him.
If we should be in prayer continueally and be in prayer for all the Saints (living), all people (living), and those in authority (on Earth), etc. we need to do whatever it takes to do this.
Hear's a helpful acryostic from a Navigator to warm up for a Quiet Time or prayer time:
L - let go
O - offer yourself
V - view it as your life
E - enter expentantly
If we can always be in prayer, listening to God's through the taking in of the Word, keeping a sensitive concious, interpreting circumstances arranged, Godly people speaking to us, and then we can also speak properly in accordance with God's will and word back to him, then we can perhaps be living a life of greater impact.
While I may not have a prayer life equal with many, I do hope to do better. Perhaps I've lost my faith in prayer, and in that regard I want to change.
FYI: I did find your words to be too harsh in these regards:
1. "Politics is one obvious place, as we don't like so-and-so in office or running for office. Have we we prayed for them? No? Then shut up, and get on our knees."
As one who has recently blogged on Barack Obama I wonder if this applies to me. Have I prayer for him enough? You know I don't think I had one written or spoken prayer about him before I wrote this. Is it possible I was out of line? My thoughts were more with those that would vote for him in ignorance. Was the Holy Spirit growning for him and others with my spirit? I am following my concious, guided through the understand of the Word, and maybe through nudges from the Holy Spirit when I blogged about him. I am wondering what kind of prayer is needed before I can blog on people. Can a clear concious, a open heart to God's word / prayerful spirit go a long way in the process? Wondering what kind of prayer is needed before I can speak properly?
2. "Another common gripe among Christians is people or structures in our own churches. Unless we are praying for them, we are rather full of gas when it comes to wanting change. Unless we ourselves are asking God to change us, and change others, we aren't really interested in change."
I have spent a lot of time in turmoil over changes that have left me on the outside of my previous church of 10 years. I've taking steps to confront my convictions but realized that I had to accept them, and couldn't change them. If only I prayerd more? Now I have gone through it all but I wonder if I have a job to still labor in prayer for them. Do I care about change at that church? Yes, but I am cynical that change is possible through my prayers when I feel that people aren't open to it. Perhaps it's beyond me, and who knows what change is happening. Been thinging of checking in and perhaps confronting them if they have truely gone off the rails. Certainly I want to see change.
One more thought to expand on prayer: I like to think of it like this... we need to live like everything depended on our prayers and live like everything depended on our actions. Living up to that requires discipline.
Harsh? In a sense, yes, but only because I am convinced it is a place so many of lack. I point the finger at myself twice inward on the matter of prayer.
If we did the math: say, created a chart for the last week, and counted hours talking about politicians (including listening to talk radio, reading political blogs, amd so on), and did the same math for personal player (dinner thanks, Sunday school praying does not count), where is the balance?
If it looks like the following, we might need realignment. I know I do, and am working on it aggressively.
Monday (1:00 blogging, :30 listening to talk radio, :03 praying)
I admit I do not understand prayer, but I know what we are commanded to do.
Ultimately, and completely, God responds as He chooses. The Big Picture is not the small issues of today, but His eternal grace. Do we want less for our leaders, colleagues, family and friends? Do we prefer to change others on our own, or do we realize God has more influence than we do?
Are we hungrier for Man to solve life’s issues, or God?
Excellent thoughts.
Thanks.
How easy it is to spend time dwelling on the temporal and ignore the eternal.
While we need to deal with today's issues, consideration of them should never displace prayer. How can we say, "This problem is great, what can I do?" if we do not respond with, "I know where my help comes from. My help comes from the Lord."
The economy we live life is too easily Earth-based. Sure, we live on Earth, and need to eat, sleep, and stay warm. The bigger Earth problems: terrorism, AIDS, pollution, hunger all need attention by honest people, but, for we who call ourselves Christians - if we try to solve such magnificent difficulties without calling on He is who greater, He who was before Abraham, we are trying to walk on water without a boat.
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