How Do I Pray?
Comments (8) Cindy, in the comment to this post, invited me to join a synchroblog regarding prayer. And who am I to turn down an invitation to discuss this topic, which I know I’ve discussed over the past couple of years here at the Beach (particularly here)? But in re-reading what I wrote nearly two years ago, I also realize that my approach to prayer and the struggles I have had with it have changed as I’ve grown in my own spiritual journey.
One of the things that I have learned in the past year is how to be silent in my approach to prayer. That is, I have learned to clear my mind, to “take a bath” as my pastor says, prior to entering a concentrated period of prayer. That silence washes away any thoughts that might distract, and allows me to enter a frame of mind in which my focus is purely on God. I have found that in a group prayer setting, this “bathtime” has been cleansing and I find myself remembering more of the things that I want to discuss with God, and hearing the things others are discussing with Him, as well as praying with them as they vocalize their thoughts to Him.
On my own, however, it is a different story. My approach is more conversational, more casual. I find myself driving to the local train station just talking out loud, as if I were talking to an imaginary friend (to use Donald Miller’s words - or, if you prefer, looking like a guy talking out loud with a Bluetooth earpiece on his cell phone, sans earpiece). I often end it with asking Him to “show me what You want me to learn today” - in reference to my Scripture reading as I sit on the train ride to work.
And there have been those moments recently in which He specifically answers prayer, almost immediately. In this post, I talked about how Jeremiah 42:10-12 was a specific answer to a question I asked Him mere moments prior - a “random” flipping of the pages took me to that passage…the first one I read when I stopped turning pages.
Yesterday, as I thought about some concerns I had about recent events at church, one of our members handed me an envelope which on the outside said “Read 1 Kings 17 - 19 before reading the contents of this letter”. In reading the passage and the subsequent letter, what spoke to me were the doubts that Elijah experienced in chapter 19 - and God had given Him rest before sending him on yet another mission. Relating that to my own life, God had given me rest this past week on vacation, and was readying me for another mission, and reminded me not to worry, because He is in control. I didn’t realize that I had been “praying” as I thought about my concerns, but God stepped forward and comforted me through that letter.
So…how do I pray? I am finding that the “how” isn’t what matters. Whether I pray silently, by myself, in a group, or out loud, God is always listening. I am finding I need to listen carefully, because He uses a variety of methods in which to answer - and often, the same answer comes from a variety of different sources, whether a friend, my wife, my kids, and/or Scripture. I am often blown away when I get that answer - not by the answer itself, but by how clear His response is to me.
Listen. Listen carefully. The answer is there.
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There are many others out there participating in this synchroblog on prayer. For a complete list of participants, check out Cindy’s post here with all the folks contributing their thoughts on prayer. Definitely check it out…there’s some good stuff there.
