When I was a boy, my mother taught my brother and me a prayer we repeated every night before going to sleep. This prayer, or a version of it, is probably familiar to you as well:
I pray the Lord my soul to keep.
If I should die before I wake,
I pray the Lord my soul to take.
God Bless mommy, and daddy, and grandma and grandpa, grandma Freda, grandma Frona and Grandpa Ralph and ALL our friends and relatives.
In Jesus' name we pray, AMEN.
For the purposes of this blog, we'll look past the fact a 4-year-old was taught to fixate on death. Instead, let's think about the act of prayer itself. Our mother taught us the importance of rhythm. Of intentionality. Of lifting those close to us to the presence of God.
We prayed that prayer for more than a decade. At some point, we stopped the child's prayer and tried to replace it with a more conversational style of communication with God. In truth, even this prayer pattern had fits and starts for nearly half a century. There have been seasons in my life when I was in deep communion with God every time I came before Him. But there were other times when the mystery of prayer eluded me.
It wasn't for a lack of practice! In my faith journey and pastoral life I've prayed...A LOT. I've led invocations, benedictions, pastoral, offertory, funeral, wedding, and group prayers. I've offered healing prayers, silent prayers, and children's prayers. I've made a prayer corner, a prayer closet, and a prayer rail. I've prayed in churches and summer camps, at dinner tables and hospital beds, under stained glass windows and the open sky, the first thing in the morning and right before bed. So why are there times when prayer seems so difficult? Perhaps you've asked the question as well, "Would it be better to return to my 4-year-old prayer pattern, or not pray at all?".
Turning to the Expert
When I struggle with exactly how have an effective prayer life, I am reminded to turn to the Expert on the subject. The One who spent so much time in solitude speaking with God. The One who taught his disciples to pray. The One who gave so much instruction on the subject. If there is ever a doubt, finding Bible passages that guide and direct us on how to pray can be helpful in the practice and bring comfort to the soul when it feels when something isn't quite right.
One of the most familiar passages is in Luke 11:1-13, where Jesus' disciples ask him to teach them to pray. My guess is they watched this spiritual practice and wanted to learn how to do it themselves. Jesus responds by teaching them the Lord's Prayer (of course, HE didn't call it that) and emphasizing the importance of persistence in prayer. Many churches use this basic prayer in their Sunday morning services every week. Unfortunately, much like my childhood prayer, the repetition can make it less meaningful. But a closer look can open our eyes to it's beauty and meaning. I would even suggest starting there is the best way to rekindle your prayer life! The next time you begin this part of your service, really look at the words that Jesus invites us to pray.
In Matthew 6:5-15, Jesus addresses the hypocrisy of public prayer and teaches about the importance of private prayer. You've probably been in a setting where someone prays out loud and you wonder if they are actually talking to God, or talking to the people in the room. I've heard ministers use public prayer to repeat key points in the sermon, almost as if it's a wrap up of the message!
If you turn to Matthew 7:7-11, you'll find Jesus' teaching on the importance of asking, seeking, and knocking. These illustrations are powerful reminders that prayer is not a once-and-done, but an ongoing desire to seek God's presence.
And of course, there are many more.
In Mark 11:24, Jesus emphasizes the power of believing prayer.
John 14:13-14 outlines Jesus' promises that if we ask anything in his name, he will do it.
And in John 15:7, Jesus encourages his disciples to abide in his love so that their prayers can be answered.
And this may be the key to to it all: Abiding in the love of God makes our prayers more effective and certainly more meaningful. Because, if we're being honest, prayer is really about relationship, isn't it? It's a conversation with God. It's an opportunity to get to know God better, and becoming open about our own struggles, fears, celebrations, and joy.
In the words of every great prayer, Amen. And let it be so.