More Thoughts on Prayer

After teaching about prayer on Sunday, I’ve been thinking about some biblical principles that I left out. In my message I pointed out that prayer is a time for us to discover what is on God’s list, rather than a time for us to tell Him what is on our list.

Or, as one writer put it, “Prayer is not supposed to be a selfish monologue, but a God-centered dialogue.”

Jesus said it this way: “Pray for God’s kingdom to come and God’s will to be done.” 

This understanding about prayer has been foundational and powerful to me in developing my own prayer life. But, since there is a lot more to prayer than I could say in one thirty-three-minute message, here are some more thoughts on prayer. I hope these short thoughts encourage all of us to participate with more passion and persistence in the spectacular privilege we have called prayer.

First, Pray Without Ceasing.
The artist Scott Erickson explains that Biblical phrase this way: “Prayer is the ever-present, on-going interior conversation you are having with God about the life you find yourself in.”

God is faithful to communicate to us at all times. He is always sitting at the table within our hearts, ready with tea and toast, and conversation. We don’t need to get cleaned up or have something intense to pray about in order to go to Him. He is simply interested in us and wants us to be interested in Him. 

Next, The Parable of the Persistent Widow.
Jesus explains the need for persistence in our prayers for justice by telling a story of a widow who bothered a judge so persistently that he granted her request, even though he didn’t care. Through this parable Jesus is teaching that, just like our persistence can be effective with people who don’t care, our persistence can be even more effective with God because He does care for us.

Though the goal is and always should be primarily to find out what is on God’s list, there do seem to be times in Scripture where someone’s persistence was able to get something written on God’s list. That is wild—and awesome. 

Last, “Whatever You Ask in My Name, God Will Do It.”
Jesus says this phrase, and other very similar phrases, many times. This phrase bothered me until I looked up the word “name” in a Greek lexicon. When Jesus said “name,” He was not referring to the way we sign off our prayers by saying, “In Jesus’ name, Amen.” We are not to use “In Jesus’ name” similar to the way a magician would say “Abracadabra.”

The word that best describes what Jesus was saying is the Greek word “onoma.” Onoma gets translated into English as “name,” but the fuller meaning of the word is “character.” So, when we ask for things in alignment with the character of Christ, He will do it. 

So, are you praying without ceasing? Are you being persistent in your prayers for justice? Are your prayers in alignment with the character of Christ?

These are some good questions to ask, but don’t stress too much about it. Just pause and turn aside to Jesus. He has the table already prepared. 

David