THE GIFT OF PRAYER
What is prayer? What do you think it means to pray? If someone stopped you on the street and asked you to define prayer, what would you say? I used to think that prayer meant bringing my "shopping lists" to God and told God what I wanted and how I wanted it and when I wanted it. I thought prayer was the way I told God how to run things down here on earth.
As I have grown older and experienced some of the harsher blows of life, as well as witnessed others battle very difficult times in line, I have come to see prayer as having less to do with words and more to do with listening. I have come to see that prayer is where we learn to speak with God out of the deeper places of our lives and we listen for the sounds of God's presence and guidance in our lives. It is where we learn to listen quietly for God to speak to the very depths of our lives. As one pastor I value put it, "prayer is the quiet space in my soul in which I listen for God to speak -- perhaps not audibly from the outside in, but spiritually from the inside out -- the will of God for my life."
Jesus taught us that prayer is personal and intimate in the sixth chapter of the Gospel of Matthew. He challenges us to not turn it into some kind of showy talk with lengthy prayers full of big words and religious showboating. Where to talk quietly with God and listen for God and open our hearts to God and be real and honest before God with who we are and where we are. We are to be willing to allow God to change not only our outer circumstances, but more importantly, our inner hearts that we might grow deeper in life and in faith and trust and hope. Prayer is a gift that God has given to us so that we might grow deeper in line, in faith, in trust, and in hope.
Sometimes I find it hard to put into words all that prayer is and how to define prayer and how to pray. It is always richer and deeper than my mere words can describe. A couple of weeks ago, and the eleven o'clock praise and worship service, the van to lead us in a prayer song entitled, "Pour Out My Heart". As I listened to the words, I thought this song was pretty close to what Jesus tried to teach us about prayer. I close with some words and hope they will encourage you to grow in prayer.
"Here I am, once again. I pour out my heart, for I know that you hear every cry. You are listening, no matter what state my heart is in. You are faithful to answer with words that are true and a hope that is a real. As I feel your touch, you bring a freedom to all its within. In the safety of this place, I'm longing to pour out my heart, say that I love you; pour out my heart, say that I need you; pour out my heart, say that I'm thankful."
Perhaps prayer is simply pouring out our hearts, whether hearts of joy and thankfulness or hearts of sorrow and grief, and waiting and listening in trusting God to speak to our hearts with words that are true and hope that is real. And may all of us grow in the richness of prayer as we open our lives to God and listen for God to speak to our hearts.
Grace and Peace be with you,
Jeff