Thoughts on Prayer (5)

"rejoicing in hope; patient in tribulation; continuing instant in prayer" (Romans 12:12).

• Prayer conceived as merely a formal time of discourse wherein one speaks to God misses the point of prayer almost entirely. It is true that prayer life includes public, formal, and scheduled time (1 Timothy 2:1-4). But in fullness, prayer is bi-directional and relational, Divine-human communication where humans communicate toward God in body language, tone of voice, auditory words, thoughts, and intents. God speaks back through His living Word, in circumstances, through the voice of other humans, and in the progressive (albeit slow) transformation of our body language, tone of voice, spoken words, thoughts, and intents, from wholly God-rejecting to God-loving. If God isn't speaking back to and in you, perhaps you aren't communicating and/or listening?

  
  

• Prayer is not intended to express a brilliant idea, remind God of something He's forgotten, alert Him to the things we want to have, or instruct Him with a dazzling expression of our theological superiority. God's wisdom is unsearchable, He is omniscient, knows exactly what we need as opposed to want, and isn't impressed with theological knowledge. Prayer should be like the communication of a trusting child to a loving father, varying at differing times in a wide range of interactions between infant-like helplessness and grown up strength of thought and cognition while standing on the firm foundation of Christ alone.