God, are you listening?

I don’t know about you, but my prayer life is sometimes a mess.  We possess a direct line to the creator of the universe. But you know what? Too often I’ve got a bad connection.  And guess whose fault that is?

It reminds me of one of those church signs; you know the ones with the clever messages.  This particular one said:  “If you find yourself farther away from God, guess who moved?”  Ouch. 

So, how’s your prayer life?  Are you a “pray without ceasing” kind of guy like Paul? Or is the fervor and frequency of your prayer life a direct correlation with the various crises you may be facing.  I admit it, my prayers are certainly more intense and more frequent during difficult times.  I think that’s natural. We are more apt to “cry out to God” when tragedy strikes. It’s not unlike the relationship with your children.  Are they not especially in need of your love when they’re hurting?  Sure they are.

But I also try and remind myself that God wants constant communication and companionship with us.  Are you quick to throw up petitions to God?  Request upon request.  Have you ever prayed like “Let’s Make a Deal”?  I guess those could be called Monty Hall prayers. You know what I mean.  God, I promise to… if you’ll only.  Or, God I will never again do this if you’ll only get me through this situation. 

We’re starting a study of prayer in our Sunday School class. Or actually, a study of “prayers”.  We’ll focus on various prayers of the Bible. Who is praying? What were the circumstances?  What prompted the prayer? What was the outcome?  Prayer can be deeply personal or communal. It can also be ritual or rote. There are no “right words” in prayer.

Have you ever heard somebody at church say, ‘Oh, he or she is a really good pray-er’.  Really? By what standards? Clever language or heart felt emotion?   What’s the first prayer you recall as a child?  Now I lay me down to sleep…  God is great God is good…  Our Father who art in heaven…  Hail Mary full of grace…

My Catholic upbringing was rooted in prayer. Two in particular:  The Lord’s Prayer (The Our Father) and the Hail Mary.  Add “Now I lay me” and “Oh Angel of God, my Guardian Dear” and you pretty much have my nightly prayers throughout childhood.  Plus, of course, petitions for God to watch over so and so or please help my friend, or bless my Mom and Dad. 

Specific prayers that are repeated frequently can become ritualistic. That was certainly the case in the Catholic church where I was raised.  But you know what?  Those same prayers that were repeated by rote some Sundays, could also be prayed with the deepest of intentions and respect the next.

God knows what’s in our heart, on our mind, and everything in between.

So, why pray at all?  What’s going to happen is going to happen, right?  God’s will will be done whether I choose to pray or not.  So, why bother?  Because we’re told to pray by none other than Jesus himself.

He was a model of prayer life and provided the model prayer to his disciples.  They were only human of course. Recall the agony in the garden when his closest followers could not even stay awake with him a few hours. Here’s Jesus, praying so intently that blood seeped from his pores. Here are the disciples, nodding off.  Count the number of times Jesus went off to pray.  Jesus in prayer. To his Father.

And I dare wonder whether I’m supposed to pray?

God desires close relationship with his children.  Prayer is the connectivity in that divine-human relationship.  I am perhaps most guilty of letting prayer be one-sided.  Me talking to God, me petitioning God, me thanking God, me asking God.

It is a two way street.

Among my favorite Bible verses:  Be still and know that I am God.

God speaks to us. But we must listen. Be quiet. Be intentional.  It is perhaps the greatest miracle of all that the One who created the universe and everything that dwells therein desires a personal relationship with me.  And with you.

God is listening… Always.

-Steve

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