Time to Get My Prayer On!

But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.

In the same way, the Spirit helps us in our weakness. We do not know what we ought to pray for, but the Spirit himself intercedes for us through wordless groans. And he who searches our hearts knows the mind of the Spirit, because the Spirit intercedes for God’s people in accordance with the will of God. ~ Romans 8: 25-27

     The Bible uses the word prayer or its variations (prayers, praying, or prays) 186 times. Wow! That is a lot about prayer. No wonder Richard Foster, author of Celebration of Discipline, writes, “Of all the Spiritual Disciplines prayer is the most central because it ushers us into perpetual communion with the Father” (33). So what exactly is prayer? According to Webster Dictionary, Prayer is an address to God or a god in word or thought. But prayer is so much more than just speaking words or thoughts. Prayer is a Christian’s response to the deep belief that God is present and active at all times. It is part of worship. 

     But what exactly is the purpose of prayer? The purpose of prayer is to participate in God’s processes. What I mean is that prayer allows us to participate in God’s plan. We can never suggest something that God hasn’t already thought of but participating in prayer allows us to become more Christ like and our spirit will be attune to God. 

     So this week to practice the discipline of prayer I decided to set aside ten minutes a day to spend in prayer, specifically prayer of intercessory (praying for other people). I have done this kind of prayer in the past but this week instead of praying for all the people who I knew need prayer for this or that situation, I began by asking for God guidance. I wanted him to guide me to pray for specific people and situations. 

     I didn’t set aside ten minutes every day like I had planed because I allowed myself to become to busy that I felt I couldn’t take the time. But the time that I did take was an experience that will be hard to forget. Here is one example: I spent one evening praying in my bedroom but I kept getting distracted by the television in the other room, so with my Bible in hand, I went down into my study room where silence greeted me like a county jail. Stern and unwelcoming. 

     I sat down and began praying by asking God for guidance. The menacing silence soon faded away and replaced with comfort and security. In that atmosphere, situations that I knew well and those that I did not know exactly what was going flooded my mind. Again I asked God to reveal which one(s) I should specifically be praying for. Soon only a handful remained. I spent the next moments praying for each of those situations. When I was finished I had a peace that passed all understanding and I wasn’t sure if ten minutes had passed or an hour had passed. 

     Reflecting on this experience I am remind of Paul’s words to the church of Philippi, 

Do not be anxious about anything,but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. ~ Philippians 4: 6-7

     And as William Carey said, “Prayer—secret, fervent, believing prayer—lies at the root of all personal godliness.”