We are currently in a series discussing 11 essential spiritual disciplines. Check out this post for an introduction to the series.
Prayer
Two Sundays ago (I know this post is late… back off!) we discussed the discipline of prayer. Prayer is an opportunity for us to step into conversation with our Savior and King. It is a valuable discipline for each of us to practice, yet most of us don’t consistently communicate with God. We decided that one of the main reasons is that we don’t know how to pray. There are certainly other things that keep us from praying on a regular basis (i.e. it takes too long, not sure if it works, etc…), but this seemed to be the primary reason within our group. So, I shared the 3 primary ways that I personally talk with God.
1. Conversation — This is how most of us view prayer. Simply stopping what we are doing and spending time just sharing with God about our life. Basically, you simply carve out time to be alone with God and talk to him. In Matthew 6, Jesus gives an example of how to pray in this way in what is known as the Lord’s Prayer. As I sit down to pray in this way, I try to remember and acknowledge who God is and how high above me He his. This helps me remember to pray for what he wants to have happen, instead of only focusing on what I want to happen. My favorite part about the Lord’s prayer in Matthew 6 is the fact that Jesus prays for His “daily bread”. In essence, he was praying to have his basic needs met. God cares deeply about the little things in your life and he wants to hear about every detail.
2. Meditation — While conversational prayer is both biblical and important, I often find myself doing all the talking in my time with God. I will just sit there and talk and talk and talk, but never really listen. Its funny, because I have a tendency to do this in all of my relationships. God has used a passage in Ecclesiastes 5 to greatly shape how I approach Him. In verses 1 & 2 of that chapter Solomon writes this,
“Guard your steps when you go to the house of God. To draw near to listen is better than to offer the sacrifice of fools, for they do not know that they are doing evil. Be not rash with your mouth, nor let your heart be hasty to utter a word before God, for God is in heaven and you are on earth. Therefore let your words be few.”
I have learned that sometimes the best way for me pray is to shut up and listen to for God. Sometimes that means that I read a passage of Scripture and just meditate on it in a way that allows the Holy Spirit to speak. Other times, I simply begin with a statement like, “God, I’m listening” and then leave the rest of the time to Him. Whatever method you use, it is important to remember that God is not impressed with our big words or perfectly articulated prayers. Sometimes, often actually, a few words are best.
3. Ceaseless — This idea, as with both of the above, comes directly out of scripture. In 1 Thessalonians 5:17, Paul challenges us to “pray without ceasing”. These words used to really confuse me. I remember thinking “how is it possible to constantly be praying?” Seriously, are we supposed to walk around constantly talking to God and not really pay attention to what is happening around us? However, as I read scripture I began to understand the importance of day by day, hour by hour, and moment by moment dependence on the Holy Spirit. Throughout the New Testament we are reminded that we are not able to produce anything of eternal significance apart from the Holy Spirit’s work in us. As a Christian, the Holy Spirit (God) dwells inside of me. The idea of ceaseless prayer is really an ongoing connection and conversation with the Holy Spirit. Asking Him to guide your words and thoughts throughout the day. Asking Him to direct your response to both good and difficult situations. The hope is that at some point it becomes natural for you and me to confer with the Holy Spirit before making any decision or choice.
My prayer for each of the students within our ministry is that you will learn to enjoy your time with God. That you will want to carve out time in your day to talk to Him. That you will understand the value of just being quiet and listening sometimes. And that you will learn the art of day by day, hour by hour, moment by moment connection with the Living God.
See you Sunday.