Every time I pick up a new book on prayer, I read it
hoping to find the hidden key to turning me into an E.M. Bounds or a John Hyde.
What secret did they know that made them such powerful prayers?
I’m guessing I’ve read over a hundred books on prayer, and I’ve yet to discover
the “hidden key”. That’s because there isn’t one. Neither Jesus, nor Paul told
us how to discover a life of prayer. They just expected us to do it. Jesus said,
“When you pray…” It was assumed prayer would be a regular part of our lives.
Yet how many of us in ministry have felt guilt over our lack of prayer? I’ve
seen ministers get frustrated at the suggestion that they need to engage in a
consistent prayer life.
“Why don’t you get off your heavenly cloud and step into the real world of time
pressures, people conflicts and ministry demands. Then talk to me about a
consistent prayer life!”
I understand their frustration. I feel it all the time. But the truth is, we’re
never going to find some magic answer that will transform us into praying men
and women of God. We need to just do it.
Having said that, I wonder why we find that so hard? I think there are some
misconceptions about prayer that can keep us from doing it.
1. I used to find prayer difficult when I attached a sense of
obligation to it.
If I missed a day I felt condemned. I associated prayer with hard
work, spiritual warfare and Christian duty. There are times when those
activities are involved in prayer, but they are far from the core of what prayer
was meant to be.
Prayer is our means of communion, fellowship and relationship with God. The
words I associate with that are privilege and pleasure. Spending time with the
one we love should be enjoyable. If it’s not then we’re missing something.
Think about what it will be like when we are in heaven. The Seraphim will be
singing, “Holy, holy, holy”. The atmosphere will be charged with the manifested
presence of God, and we will be caught up in rapturous praise and adoration.
Prayer is a small foretaste of that. It’s our opportunity to peek behind the
veneer of time and space and touch the presence of an eternal God. What mystery
and privilege!
2. I used to find prayer difficult when I thought I had to work
through my “prayer list”.
I had a three ring binder listing every name, need and nation I
could think of. After interceding through that about 20 times, I began to dread
it. And then I felt guilty for dreading it!
As the church began to grow the flood of needs to remember became overwhelming.
There were so many, I found myself just reading the names off the list. To give
adequate attention to them would have taken hours.
I remember one time I got so overwhelmed I laid the list out on the table and
said, “Lord, you see them all—answer according to your will.”
I seriously began to question whether prayer was supposed to be reduced to a
list. Though it’s a compassionate idea to faithfully lift the needs of others up
to the Lord, I didn’t have a compassionate attitude when doing it.
Now when I pray I approach requests for others in two ways. First, I lift before
the Lord, those who have specifically asked me to pray for them . Second, I ask
the Lord to bring to my mind those He wants me to remember. When He does, I give
attention to them until I am released to move on.
3. I used to find prayer difficult when I thought my primary
activity was talking to God.
What’s more important—what I have to say to Him, or what He has
to say to me? Virtually 95% of my prayer time was me talking to God. The other
5% was me falling asleep, or looking at the clock, or secretly wishing my “hour”
was over. Sad, but that’s where I was. My prayer time was so boring, I think God
dreaded it.
The other side of prayer is listening. Prayer should be a dialogue, not a
monologue. God speaks to us through His Word. So meditation has become my
primary form of prayer. As I chew, think and meditate on His Word, He fills my
heart and mind with His presence.
We turn to the Word, not to gather information, outlines or sermon plans, but
rather, to encounter God. I always pray with Bible in hand. When I open its
pages I’m stepping into His heart. God is always speaking. I just have to have
ears to hear. When I do, I’ve engaged in prayer. I find that extremely exciting.
4. I used to find prayer difficult when I approached it with
wrong expectations.
I saw prayer as a tool in my hands to direct the activities of
God. In reality, prayer is a tool in God’s hands to shape me. Prayer is not
about getting stuff done (though that does happen). Prayer is about becoming.
Prayer that’s bathed in the Scriptures is one of the primary means God uses to
conform us to the image of His Son.
One of the reasons there is often a delay of time between when a request is
made, and when the answer is manifested, is because in the interim, God is doing
more than orchestrating the answer. He is also working on us. When it comes to
prayer, the journey is as important as the destination.
I still have my struggles with prayer, but understanding some of these things
has freed me from turning prayer into a legalistic activity. I look forward to
the time I can spend with God. When I miss it, I don’t feel guilt, but rather
disappointment.
When it comes to prayer, the key is to “just do it”. God calls us to prayer, not
because He wants us busy at work, but because He enjoys the fellowship.
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