A Tragic Understanding of Prayer
It’s one of the more intimate and most personal of the spiritual disciplines, those things that are manifest in our lives out of a deep faith and trust in Christ. With good reason, I might add, for scripture is full of exhortations for the people of God to be people of prayer. We are called to pray without ceasing. We are called to pray for the sick. We are called to call others to pray for us when we are sick. As United Methodists, we have prayer as the first vow one takes when joining a local congregation (“Will you support the ministries of this congregation through your prayers?”) for prayer is the foundation not only of an individual’s faith but the community of the faithful.
Like all practices of the faithful, however, we are called to approach the life of prayer in a manner that focuses on God, with God as the sole ‘audience’ (not the best term.) Jesus felt so strongly about this topic he addressed it during what is known as his “Sermon on the Mount.”
Here’s Jesus as found in Matthew 6:5-6 -
“And whenever you pray, do not be like the hypocrites; for they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, so that they may be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward. But whenever you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret; and your Father who sees in secret will reward you.”
One of the most tragic (and, yes, I know tragic is a strong word but I’m sticking to it) misunderstandings about prayer is so many people have a mindset that limits their comfort with prayer. This mindset revolves around people saying they simply don’t know how to pray. Oftentimes, this is followed up with a comparison to someone they admire they’ve heard pray.
The complication is that no two people are just alike, and no two people have the exact same relationship with God or anyone else. Thus, we are setting ourselves up for some unintended consequences when we try to set our practices of prayer around what we have heard someone else say.
As was mentioned earlier, we would be wise and faithful to look at to whom and for what reason our prayers are lifted. Let me say that part of growing in faith and helping others grow in faith is a shared life of prayer. I’m not advocating for you to be thrown into the deep end and just go for it - even though scripture does also say that God understands the inner groaning of our heart. There are many wonderful resources available to help you grow in your life of prayer. The word of caution would be to make sure that those people and resources you use to help guide your prayers are just that - guides.
Jesus is quite clear here - God is interested in what is on YOUR heart. What is it that YOU want to lift up to him?
That’s the good news of this passage, and something of which we mustn’t lose sight in all of this - we worship a God who WANTS to hear from us.
Especially in times where we may feel distant, discouraged, or wholly inadequate when it comes to the who, what, when, where, and why aspects of a life of prayer, please do not let the mechanics involved rob you of the reality that God has a burning desire for you to lift up what is on you heart. Praise be to God!
Grace and Peace,
Lamar