It is sometimes joked that even atheists pray when they are in real danger. I can relate. I'll throw up a desperation prayer too when I'm late for an appointment desperately trying to find a parking space on Newbury Street.
To many of us that is what prayer is. It is a one-way plea for help to a God who may or may not exist and who may or may not be interested in our current predicament. We will roll the dice when we feel the need, but we are not expecting a Yahtzee.
Is that what prayer is? A crap shoot? An app that lets us get a few words in with the guy upstairs?
When we limit prayer to just making a request of a higher power, we miss out on what prayer as Jesus taught it and experienced it is all about.
Jesus taught that prayer was like spending time with a good Dad who had a lot great gifts he wanted to give away. Jesus taught that prayer looked a lot more like a relationship than a duty.
Jesus taught that prayer was not just about making a request of God but an opportunity to worship him.
Jesus valued prayer so much because it was when he got to hear from his Dad. Prayer seemed to recalibrate Jesus as spending time with a person who loves and cares for you usually does.
Jesus talked to his Dad in front of other people, alone in the wilderness, and when he was dying on a cross.
Times with his Father in prayer reminded Jesus why he had come and helped him get back on track with his God-given mission. Jesus knew that when he prayed, his ability to meet the needs of others greatly increased afterwards.
Jesus expected his Dad to hear his friends prayers because his Father heard his prayers. Jesus expected the Father to answer their prayers because they'd spent time with him and come to know him (and when you've met him you've met Dad too) and joined him in his mission.
See re-thinking prayer involves re-thinking who you are (a child of God), re-thinking what you believe (Jesus is God's son), and re-thinking what you are about (being a part of Jesus' mission to bring people back into relationship with Dad).
It's about joining with Jesus, the ultimate older brother who came to find us and show us what Dad is all about.
Pray. Enjoy the relationship.
To many of us that is what prayer is. It is a one-way plea for help to a God who may or may not exist and who may or may not be interested in our current predicament. We will roll the dice when we feel the need, but we are not expecting a Yahtzee.
Is that what prayer is? A crap shoot? An app that lets us get a few words in with the guy upstairs?
When we limit prayer to just making a request of a higher power, we miss out on what prayer as Jesus taught it and experienced it is all about.
Jesus taught that prayer was like spending time with a good Dad who had a lot great gifts he wanted to give away. Jesus taught that prayer looked a lot more like a relationship than a duty.
Jesus taught that prayer was not just about making a request of God but an opportunity to worship him.
Jesus valued prayer so much because it was when he got to hear from his Dad. Prayer seemed to recalibrate Jesus as spending time with a person who loves and cares for you usually does.
Jesus talked to his Dad in front of other people, alone in the wilderness, and when he was dying on a cross.
Times with his Father in prayer reminded Jesus why he had come and helped him get back on track with his God-given mission. Jesus knew that when he prayed, his ability to meet the needs of others greatly increased afterwards.
Jesus expected his Dad to hear his friends prayers because his Father heard his prayers. Jesus expected the Father to answer their prayers because they'd spent time with him and come to know him (and when you've met him you've met Dad too) and joined him in his mission.
See re-thinking prayer involves re-thinking who you are (a child of God), re-thinking what you believe (Jesus is God's son), and re-thinking what you are about (being a part of Jesus' mission to bring people back into relationship with Dad).
It's about joining with Jesus, the ultimate older brother who came to find us and show us what Dad is all about.
Pray. Enjoy the relationship.
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