The Richness of Prayer

I think of my prayer life as a journey. As a child, I prayed by kneeling at my bed, and by bowing my head at meals and in church services. I knew to thank God and ask him for my needs. 

As a young adult, and since then, I’ve been exposed to different churches and different expressions of faith and worship. This exposure has broadened my realization of the many ways we can meet God in prayer: communicating our praise, our needs, and our love for him. 

I’ve come to realize that our prayers are the expression of our spirit, influenced by the Scriptures, worship and culture. We can be enriched by praying alone or with other believers. 

And then I’m struck by the fact that the Apostle Paul calls us to “unceasing prayer” (1 Thessalonians 5:16). So I’ve learned that we can incorporate our prayers into a daily “thought life” where we have constant communication with God, praying through what happens during our day and seeking his guidance as it unfolds. As a result, prayer can happen while walking, dancing, singing and even when we’re creating. God is ever present with us, and always glad to talk with us. 

And yet prayer never is just about my wants, needs, or preferences. In his letters to believers, Paul 

offers an amazing variety of eternally-focused prayers. His long-term concerns – for church members, for co-laborers in ministry, for his culture, and for people far from God – always are the driving motivation for his prayers.

However, even when we recognize the potential breadth and depth of a rich prayer life, we still can battle practical challenges.

Here’s a big one: the wandering mind. 

Here’s another one: mindless and even selfish repetitions. 

And how about one more: struggling to speak with God when I have no words.

So what’s the solution? Here are two suggestions that have been helpful to me.

Use Scripture. Pray the Psalms; personalize the prayers of Paul and Jesus. Prayers from the Bible can keep us focused and help broaden our understanding of what to pray and how to pray.

Read prayers written by Christians from the past. Check out the 1662 Book of Common Prayer, The Valley of Vision (pilgrims prayers), A Diary of Private Prayer (John Baillie) and Celtic Prayers from Iona (J. Philip Newell). 

When we offer prayers from the past, written by the great cloud of witnesses (Hebrews 12:1), it connects us with our spiritual heritage; reminding us that others have lived the life of faith to help pave the way for us.

Remember: prayer is not limited to citing a list of requests. Prayer is about connection with God, communication with God, and the worship of God. 

I encourage you: never settle for an anemic prayer life. Try something new...perhaps even something unfamiliar...to get closer to God. 

To see God more clearly.

To experience God in a richer and deeper way through prayer.