We live in busy times. We live in a culture that keeps us moving forward. Benjamin Franklin said, “ When you’re finished changing, you’re finished.” This constant need to innovate, to learn, to grow, and to adapt saps us of time and energy. Praying seems like a luxury we can’t afford. It causes us to stop doing what we are doing and focus. We don’t; we’re too busy.
1 Thessalonians 5:17, “Pray without ceasing.”
Jesus talked a lot about prayer. Prayer is the privilege to speak to the God of the universe, the author of all things, the King of Kings. God is omnipresent, omnipotent, omniscient, transcendent, and immutable. What could I say that He does not already know? Do I think I can influence His thinking? My problems are petty and small.
Remember, God is also just, good, faithful, wise, merciful, compassionate, and giving.
I use to treat God like any other person in my life. They had limited time and resources and many demands. I had to gauge my requests. I had to make sure my need was sufficient and worthy of their attention. I didn’t want to abuse my friendship. If I need them to drop what they were doing to assist me, I had first to make sure I had done all I could do to help myself. And then there was reciprocity. I had to be prepared to pay them back when they were in need. I didn’t call them to bring me coffee or change the channel on the TV or help me pick out a t-shirt to wear. I only asked for help when there was no other option. They were valuable to me, and I treated them as such.
How to Pray
Matthew not only tells us how to pray but further down, he tells us what to pray. Pray, with sincerity.
Matthew 6:5-8, “When you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, who love to stand and pray in the synagogues and on street corners so that others may see them. Amen, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go to your inner room, close the door, and pray to your Father in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will repay you. In praying, do not babble like the pagans, who think that they will be heard because of their many words. Do not be like them. Your Father knows what you need before you ask him.”
Prayer is not about informing God; prayer is about having a relationship with God. We need to have that constant interaction. We need accountability. We need the affirmation that we matter.
Billy Graham said, “Prayer is simply a two-way conversation between you and God.”
Praying is not about impressing others or even impressing God; it is about communications. Trust me; you can’t impress God. God wrote your story before you came into existence. He made you; He knows you better than you know yourself. Prayer is what you tell your best friend over a coffee that strengthens your friendship bond. Prayer is when you trust God with your deepest secrets that will never be shared with others that show Him the depth of your trust and caring.
Prayer is the chatter down the hallway that lets Him know you are thinking about Him as He is thinking about you. Prayer is a quick “thank you” for a door that is opened or faux pau unnoticed. Prayer is the acknowledgment that He is at your shoulder at all times. He is walking through life with you, not just dropping in from time to time.
When to Pray
As we walk down the hall of our school or office building, tell Him about our concerns. As we sit in a meeting or a lecture, tell Him of our conflicts and emotions. As we hike, or bike or run, talk with Him about scripture and temptation and anxiety. Be in continual conversation with the most powerful being in the universe. Take advantage of God, tap into His resources, and His wisdom and His compassion.
I have a friend that prays about the silliest of things. It used to bother me, not in a critical sense, but a practical sense. Did God have the time to help you find that right color of paint or that right gift? God was working on the cure for cancer and world hunger. Children are being kidnapped and sold into slavery. Why would he care about the right gift to give a friend? My perception of man flawed my thinking about God. God can do all things at once with equal ease. He is not constrained by time or uncertainty.
God cares about the mundane and the critical. God cares that your friend has cancer, He cares that the neighbor just lost her husband and has two little children to raise, He cares that you lost your job, and he cares that you had a bad day and need some self-confidence. Nothing is too big or too small to discuss with God. (Matthew 6:25-34)
Max Lucado said, “Our prayers may be awkward. Our attempts may be feeble. But since the power of prayer is in the one who hears it and not in the one who says it, our prayers do make a difference.”
What to Pray
First of all, we need to recognize that all things come from God to be used for His kingdom. Outside of God, we have nothing. Always let Him know, and in doing so, remind yourself that your ultimate desire is to see His gifts to you used to bring about His kingdom here on earth.
Matthew 6: 9-13, “This is how you are to pray: Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name, your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as in heaven. Give us today our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we forgive our debtors, and do not lead us into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.”
Thank Him for the little things that we so often take for granted, like food, shelter, family, friends, jobs, etc. Let Him know you trust Him to provide for you because of all He has done in the past. Then you need to ask for His protection. Not so that He will protect you, but as recognition that He does already.
God has a plan for you and everyone else. Pray is not about helping Him implement His plan. It is about recognizing that you recognize He has a plan and want to be part of it. You want Him to use you to bring about His glory.
Martin Luther said, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Don’t stop breathing.
Philippians 4:6-7, “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.”