Talking to God: How Hard Could it be?

Quite hard, for some, it turns out.

On Sunday morning, Angie spoke about prayer — specifically the Lord’s Prayer. It’s a subject that many of us, including people who have been believers for as long as we can remember, often find difficult.

• When is the right time/place to pray?
• Is there a right way to pray? A wrong one?
• When can I expect to hear back? (Almost like a text message prom invite or job application)

Because we have the tendency, as many people do, to be self-reliant, far too often we turn to prayer only as a last resort — one last-ditch effort to invite God to intervene in a situation.

A Hail Mary, of sorts.

My understanding of prayer has broadened significantly over the years. When I was your age, my prayers were generally about asking God to do something for me or someone I cared about. I prayed for the health of my father, or for members of my church. I prayed for my own salvation, almost daily. I apologized for all my shortcomings, and they were many.

I didn’t know any better. When it was time for someone to pray at church, it was generally for healing, or for another’s salvation or for someone whose dad lost a job. That’s all I knew.

To be clear, there was nothing wrong with my childhood understanding of prayer. It is important to pray for people who are sick, lost or discouraged; however, there is so much more to prayer than just petitions.

As Angie explains, the Disciples asked Jesus in Luke Chapter 11 to teach them how to pray. And he obliged:

He said to them, when you pray, say:

“‘Father,
hallowed be your name,
your kingdom come.
Give us each day our daily bread.

Forgive us our sins,
for we also forgive everyone who sins against us.
And lead us not into temptation.’”

Luke 11: 2-4

Prayer, as Angie explains, is not like hitting up the creator of the universe on SnapChat. Prayer is a spiritual discipline that requires all of us to reflect on our lives, our relationship with God and with his children, and to recognize that we need a savior.

It’s about making space that will lead to a deeper relationship with God, and with others. It’s not simply about asking God to guide us in our everyday lives; it’s a frequent reminder that we are not our own best guides.

It’s not just about asking for forgiveness, it’s about knowing that we all sin and desperately need it — and that we are all sinned against, and therefore must offer it.

And finally, it’s a recognition of the holiness of God. The God we serve is holy, set apart from sin and worthy of all praise.

Oh, and to answer my questions:

No, there isn’t a right time or place to pray. When I was kid, I often prayed in my closet or in bed at nighttime. As it turned out, you didn’t have to have your head bowed, your eyes closed and your hands together to pray the right way. This is especially helpful for those of us who like to pray while driving.

When I got older, I’d pray every time I heard an ambulance siren. I’d ask God to intercede for whomever was in trouble. It was one way to turn an everyday moment into a prayerful moment.

The Apostle Paul teaches us to pray without ceasing and this is one way to do it.

We may never know if and when our prayers are answered, but what we do know is that prayer is powerful, life-changing and affirming.

So, in short: Pray. Pray all the time. With gratitude, a listening ear and expectant heart. Pray for those who persecute you, for those who are hurting. Give praise to God from whom all blessings flow.

Sunday we closed with one of my all-time favorite hymns, and it couldn’t be more perfect:

Can we find a friend so faithful
Who will all our sorrows share?
Jesus knows our every weakness,
Take it to the Lord in prayer.

What a Friend we have in Jesus – joseph Scriven

See you Wednesday night!