A Prayer About Prayer
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, 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. Philippians 4:6-7 Dear Father, I’m thinking about prayer and my prayer life today. It’s become obvious to me that I’m more certain of what I don’t believe about prayer than I’m settled on what I do believe about prayer. So I’m praying about prayer today, and I unabashedly own my need your Spirit to free me from much of the bad teaching I labored under, and free me for a renewed love for spending much time with you in vital, expectant prayer.
First of all, I praise you for the promise of peace through prayer. Irrespective of how you might choose to answer my prayers, you promise a transcendent peace to those who bring their petitions, thanksgiving and requests to you. The promise of your peace “guarding my heart and mind” is incredibly encouraging, for that’s where the most critical battles of life are waged-right there in the arena of my thinking, feeling and choosing.
So here are some of my petitions and requests about prayer. Father, teach me more about the relationship between your sovereignty and my praying. I know you to be the God who works all things together after the counsel of your will (hallelujah!), so how does my praying fit into the outworking of your perfect and irrepressible plan for all things?
I know prayer is not a matter of getting as many people as possible together to agree about a request so as to either impress you or motivate you, for that’s the essence of pagan worship-stirring a reluctant or begrudging god to action. But what is the value of corporate prayer? You commend it, even command it. What really happens when we gather to cry out to our great and gracious God, in Jesus name, together?
Lastly, for now, in reaction to the narcissistic dark under-belly of the “name it and claim it” formula praying, I have over-corrected in the direction of being a generalist in prayer. I don’t tend to ask for very much specifically in prayer, and therefore I don’t tend to expect very much specifically from prayer. This isn’t good. This isn’t gospel-praying.
Even as I write these words, and frame this prayer, I have to repent. For I can see how my cynicism and anger at those who relate to you in prayer like you are either a computer to be programmed or a Gumby god to be manipulated, have robed me of childlike wonder and trust in prayer. Have mercy on me, loving Jesus. Free my heart, gracious Father. Teach me, blessed Holy Spirit… and others like me. All for your glory, Amen.