It's not so much how you do it as why you do it.
I feel impressed to write a few words about prayer, but I'm not sure where to start.
Maybe that how you feel about your prayer life. Not sure where to start.
If there is one thing that has eluded me in my Christian life, it is this deep sense of knowing exactly how to and when to and what exactly to say.
I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who are authorities (or at least feel like they are) on the subject of prayer. I am not one of them.
The struggle to feel powerful and knowledgeable in prayer is one that many people experience.
As a preacher, it seems very easy to stand and speak on the subjects of the faith.
What doctrines to support and what to believe about God.
It is very easy for someone like myself to tell other people what to believe, but prayer is one of those things that absolutely requires one to not just speak about it.
There is the necessity to actually do it also.
Growing up in church, I experienced Christian worship from the pew.
And, only from the pew.
Sitting up, occasionally bowing the head, hands folded in lap.
This was how we prayed.
Later in life, going to a holiness church, I experienced worship and prayer in a whole different context.
People prayed in the pew, but they also knelt in the pew.
Then there was the altar down front where people actually got up, left their seat, and when down there to pray.
There was a pastor who spoke and others gathered around, laying hands on a person.
A whole group of people praying all at once, loudly and with passion.
Occasionally, prayer was not led by the pastor.
Maybe a lay person prayed when called upon.
Now, in my United Methodist life, I see a more reserved piety.
Occasionally, people might gather around someone.
Occasionally someone might approach the altar.
Prayer is lead by the person up front, usually the pastor.
Outside of corporate worship is where the real struggle lies, however.
It's easy to melt into what a group of people are doing.
As I recall hearing one of my old Nazarene pastors say, "It's when we are all alone that it really matters what we do."
How exactly are we to do this? To pray.
I grew up with a deep longing to do things exactly the way they were supposed to be done.
Maybe that has been part of my undoing.
Because, if I couldn't do it exactly the way it was supposed to be done, then why do it at all?
My Nazarene days exposed me to a lot of different feelings and practice on the subject of prayer.
I have knelt at an altar. (I did a lot of kneeling back then.)
I have simply sat in a chair.
I have gone away on trips, seeking a closeness with God.
I have gone out to the church when no one was around and sat in a pew.
Is there an exact way to do this?
Is there something exactly to say when approaching God?
Larry Norman, the Christian songwriter of the 1960's & 70's, talked about singing in a bar one time and then speaking with a young man about Jesus afterwards.
In a few minutes he led that young guy to Christ and then helped him to pray.
What he encouraged the young man to do was to simply speak to God straight from his heart.
"Dear Lord, you know how &%$@&$ up my life has been. I am so &%$@*$ up right now with all the drugs and stuff..."
WHOA preacher man! Are you telling us it's OK to cuss at God while we are praying?
What I am saying is...talk to God straight from the heart.
If you need some help figuring out what to say, there are books upon books with pre-written prayers that someone else penned.
Those are helpful.
The way that usually is most meaningful is when you just share what's on your heart and mind.
Will there be anger? Sometimes.
Will there be tears and sadness? Sometimes.
Read your book of Psalms.
David and the other writers held nothing back.
They shared their emotions openly with God.
There will also be times of joy and happiness.
There might even be times where you say nothing at all.
It's good to stop and know that God is close.
Psalm 46:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 He says, Be still, and know that I am God
When I find I don't know what to say, the words of Paul in the Book of Romans are always a comfort.
Romans 8:25-27
New International Version (NIV)
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 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. 27 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.
So, does it matter if I sit, stand or kneel?
Posture purely depends on the situation.
King David was most likely our best picture of what it meant seek God.
Known as "a man after God's own heart", the story of his life and the writings left behind show that he was a man completely open with God.
David write a good chunk of the Psalms we have in our Bible.
1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Kings show us much of his life.
When David, or one of the writers in Psalms, needed God, they asked directly.
Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. (Psalm 102:1-2)
When they were happy, they praised Him.
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Psalm 59:16-17)
Singing is praying? Who knew?
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 108:1-5)
When David was sad, he would cry.
When someone was angry, they said it like it was, to God.
When they got happy or excited, they pulled out their instruments and played & sang.
They knelt at times.
They stood and looked up at the heavens.
Jesus even said there was a man who beat his chest and couldn't even look up at the sky.
‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (Luke 18.13)
Jesus said to go away into your own closet and pray. (Matthew 6)
Get away from everybody else and don't let anyone see what you are doing or saying.
Maybe you feel like the disciples.
They didn't know how to pray either.
No one had ever actually taught them.
They came to Jesus one evening as He was praying by himself and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11.1)
What He gave them was something so simple and yet so profound.
As United Methodists, we usually say this prayer as a congregation each Sunday.
My hope is that each person joined in worship is longing to be like one of those first disciples.
To know God. To yearn for understanding.
I hope you'll pray along with these words today.
And, then just jump in with what's on your mind.
God wants to hear from you today.
I feel impressed to write a few words about prayer, but I'm not sure where to start.
Maybe that how you feel about your prayer life. Not sure where to start.
If there is one thing that has eluded me in my Christian life, it is this deep sense of knowing exactly how to and when to and what exactly to say.
I'm sure there are plenty of folks out there who are authorities (or at least feel like they are) on the subject of prayer. I am not one of them.
The struggle to feel powerful and knowledgeable in prayer is one that many people experience.
As a preacher, it seems very easy to stand and speak on the subjects of the faith.
What doctrines to support and what to believe about God.
It is very easy for someone like myself to tell other people what to believe, but prayer is one of those things that absolutely requires one to not just speak about it.
There is the necessity to actually do it also.
Growing up in church, I experienced Christian worship from the pew.
And, only from the pew.
Sitting up, occasionally bowing the head, hands folded in lap.
This was how we prayed.
Later in life, going to a holiness church, I experienced worship and prayer in a whole different context.
People prayed in the pew, but they also knelt in the pew.
Then there was the altar down front where people actually got up, left their seat, and when down there to pray.
There was a pastor who spoke and others gathered around, laying hands on a person.
A whole group of people praying all at once, loudly and with passion.
Occasionally, prayer was not led by the pastor.
Maybe a lay person prayed when called upon.
Now, in my United Methodist life, I see a more reserved piety.
Occasionally, people might gather around someone.
Occasionally someone might approach the altar.
Prayer is lead by the person up front, usually the pastor.
Outside of corporate worship is where the real struggle lies, however.
It's easy to melt into what a group of people are doing.
As I recall hearing one of my old Nazarene pastors say, "It's when we are all alone that it really matters what we do."
How exactly are we to do this? To pray.
I grew up with a deep longing to do things exactly the way they were supposed to be done.
Maybe that has been part of my undoing.
Because, if I couldn't do it exactly the way it was supposed to be done, then why do it at all?
My Nazarene days exposed me to a lot of different feelings and practice on the subject of prayer.
I have knelt at an altar. (I did a lot of kneeling back then.)
I have simply sat in a chair.
I have gone away on trips, seeking a closeness with God.
I have gone out to the church when no one was around and sat in a pew.
Is there an exact way to do this?
Is there something exactly to say when approaching God?
Larry Norman, the Christian songwriter of the 1960's & 70's, talked about singing in a bar one time and then speaking with a young man about Jesus afterwards.
In a few minutes he led that young guy to Christ and then helped him to pray.
What he encouraged the young man to do was to simply speak to God straight from his heart.
"Dear Lord, you know how &%$@&$ up my life has been. I am so &%$@*$ up right now with all the drugs and stuff..."
WHOA preacher man! Are you telling us it's OK to cuss at God while we are praying?
What I am saying is...talk to God straight from the heart.
If you need some help figuring out what to say, there are books upon books with pre-written prayers that someone else penned.
Those are helpful.
The way that usually is most meaningful is when you just share what's on your heart and mind.
Will there be anger? Sometimes.
Will there be tears and sadness? Sometimes.
Read your book of Psalms.
David and the other writers held nothing back.
They shared their emotions openly with God.
There will also be times of joy and happiness.
There might even be times where you say nothing at all.
It's good to stop and know that God is close.
Psalm 46:10
New International Version (NIV)
10 He says, Be still, and know that I am God
When I find I don't know what to say, the words of Paul in the Book of Romans are always a comfort.
Romans 8:25-27
New International Version (NIV)
25 But if we hope for what we do not yet have, we wait for it patiently.
26 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. 27 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.
So, does it matter if I sit, stand or kneel?
Posture purely depends on the situation.
King David was most likely our best picture of what it meant seek God.
Known as "a man after God's own heart", the story of his life and the writings left behind show that he was a man completely open with God.
David write a good chunk of the Psalms we have in our Bible.
1 & 2 Samuel and 1 Kings show us much of his life.
When David, or one of the writers in Psalms, needed God, they asked directly.
Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come to you. Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly. (Psalm 102:1-2)
When they were happy, they praised Him.
But I will sing of your strength, in the morning I will sing of your love; for you are my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. O my Strength, I sing praise to you; you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God. (Psalm 59:16-17)
Singing is praying? Who knew?
My heart is steadfast, O God; I will sing and make music with all my soul. Awake, harp and lyre! I will awaken the dawn. I will praise you, O LORD, among the nations; I will sing of you among the peoples. For great is your love, higher than the heavens; your faithfulness reaches to the skies. Be exalted, O God, above the heavens, and let your glory be over all the earth. (Psalm 108:1-5)
When David was sad, he would cry.
When someone was angry, they said it like it was, to God.
When they got happy or excited, they pulled out their instruments and played & sang.
They knelt at times.
They stood and looked up at the heavens.
Jesus even said there was a man who beat his chest and couldn't even look up at the sky.
‘God, have mercy on me, a sinner.’ (Luke 18.13)
Jesus said to go away into your own closet and pray. (Matthew 6)
Get away from everybody else and don't let anyone see what you are doing or saying.
Maybe you feel like the disciples.
They didn't know how to pray either.
No one had ever actually taught them.
They came to Jesus one evening as He was praying by himself and said, "Lord, teach us to pray, just as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11.1)
What He gave them was something so simple and yet so profound.
As United Methodists, we usually say this prayer as a congregation each Sunday.
My hope is that each person joined in worship is longing to be like one of those first disciples.
To know God. To yearn for understanding.
I hope you'll pray along with these words today.
And, then just jump in with what's on your mind.
God wants to hear from you today.
Our Father
which art in heaven
hallowed be thy name
they kingdom come
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven
give us this day our daily bread
and forgive us our trespasses
as we forgive those who trespass against us
and lead us not into temptation
but deliver us from evil
from Thine is the kingdom
and the power
and the glory
Forever
Amen
Get your belly full of that Comfort Food!
