Author: art rogers
Spiritual Disciplines: Prayer
Tuesday, July 31st, 2007 @ 5:00 am
Check out Joe Kennedy’s blog for the list of those blogging the Spiritual Disciplines.
Prayer is communication with God, and as such is a two way street. It is as much about listening as it is about speaking. In order to listen, you have to first have the Holy Spirit (Romans 8 ) and then you have to intentionally listen to the Holy Spirit.
Listening is hard because we are such tactile folks. If we can’t see, touch, smell, taste or physically hear something, it is hard to learn how to listen to it. We don’t see ourselves as spiritual beings or dealing with spiritual entities, and because we don’t see it, we rarely do it and because we rarely do it, we aren’t very good at it.
Frankly, it takes practice to be a listener to the Holy Spirit.
Practically, though, it takes a place where distraction is minimal. People are built differently, so that place is different for everyone. Some people find the outdoors inspirational while others are distracted by discomfort and, well, animals, people and whatever else is moving around.
For me, I enjoy a secluded and moderately air conditioned environment. Not too hot, nor too cold. The environment is an easy distraction for me and I like to eliminate it. Also, I am easily distracted by virtually anything that is not present that is intended to point me toward God. If a computer is in the room, I will habitually turn towards it and check for email, etc. This is why I don’t attempt to spend my designated prayer time with anything other than an empty room with my ipod playing some worship stuff, or just my journal.
Speaking of my journal, I know that journaling is coming up next week, but my journal is a big part of my prayer time. I write out my prayers. Not the whole thing, word for word, but general ideas that I speak from. By writing out my prayers I am doing two things.
First, I am listening. Yeah, back to that. I listen to the Holy Spirit lead me through the subjects of my prayers and I write down what I sense He says to me, section by section (more on the sections in a minute). Then I pray them through pretty diligently because I am focused.
That’s the second thing I am doing by writing – staying on task. Maybe I am a product of my generation or maybe something is wrong with me, but if I don’t have my prayers written out, then I tend to wander in my mind. The next thing I know, I am thinking about who knows what and my “effectual and fervent prayer” is somewhere else. I know that God doesn’t do this, but I can just picture Him waving to me: Aaarrrrt (in a sing song voice), I’m over heeeerrrree.
Also, the routine of regularly praying helps me focus my mind. It is apparent to most that regularly praying washes the mind in the presence of God and when combined with Bible Study, which I think it should be and is with me, I am washed in the Word. Made sensitive to the Spirit through Prayer, the Word instructs me and shapes me. They all go together, these disciplines.
The sections. Many of you will have heard this before, so I won’t break it down like it is new, but I follow the Isaiah 6 model of back and forth: Adoration, Confession, Thanksgiving, Supplication and then Intercession. I break supplication into two parts: supplication and intercession. The first about me – my character and it being conformed to the image of Christ, and the second about the stuff that I and others need from God.
Obviously, the last part is the only part most of us do. I still do it sometimes. It’s like taking a grocery list to the grocer, leaving it for him to fill and then coming back to pick it up later. We put God in the position of our servant which is diabolical, since it is He who is the Master and we who are the servants.
What do you do? What makes your prayer time really work? Can you pray outside? Do you have a place where you always go to pray?
![[del.icio.us]](http://images.del.icio.us/static/img/delicious.small.gif){kind=small}
July 31st, 2007 at 8:38 am
Even though I came from a strict, Southern Baptist, Evangelical background, I discovered the Book of Common Prayer in college. It has been an immense aid in my prayer life. The prayers are a beautiful mix of Bible and poetry. It’s also very comforting to know that I’m praying the same prayers that people have been praying for centuries. It helps me participate in the communion of the saints.
I’ve also found praying the Jesus Prayer to be very helpful. It’s something simple that I can rely on when I need to refocus. (The text: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.)
July 31st, 2007 at 8:59 am
Art, I’ve started to see my reading of Scripture as praying also. Usually when people talk about “praying” the Scripture, they are talking about speaking the Scripture back to God. I like to do this using the Psalms, but we all know any where in the Bible will suffice. But, a couple of years ago something else was brought to my attention. Since we expect God to speak to us through his word, isn’t that another avenue of prayer? I mean, if prayer is simply 2way communication with God, then wouldn’t that be the other side of the street, so to speak? So, when I’m “praying” Scripture, looking for God’s reply, it isn’t a study as much as an expectation. Just some thoughts.
Tim
July 31st, 2007 at 10:44 am
Ben,
Are you sure you’re Baptist?
Actually, an assembly of Scripture feeds into what Tim is talking about…
Tim,
Great thoughts. If we value the Word as the full revelation of God, then we have to believe that our communication has to be, at the very least, bound to the authority of Scripture. I have known many people who say that they “feel” God leading them to do things that are contrary to Scripture. God isn’t going to violate His own Word. He doesn’t change.
Does anyone listen to music while they pray? What kind?
July 31st, 2007 at 10:53 am
Art, no doubt.
Tim, excellent point. Our belief in the centrality of Scripture is one of our defining elements as evangelicals. And praying the Psalms is a wonderful way to communicate with God when we are unable to form our own words.
As far as music…I have a framed quote on my wall that says: God gave us music that we might pray without words.
July 31st, 2007 at 11:16 am
Art and others,
I pray the Psalms quite a bit. I find that, very often, they are more honest than I would be (i.e., “How long, O Lord, will you forget me?”). I don’t have a set time of day that I pray, though it is possible that I should. I find that I pray at various times throughout the day and then usually for an extended time at night.
Also, I think I’ll join Ben and risk being anathematized with another comment. While a part of a spiritual formation small group in seminary, I was introduced to what is commonly called “centering prayer.” Basically (and simplistically), it involves visualizing while one is praying. I do not do this all the time, but when I have more freedom from time constraints I will utilize this method.
The way it works for me is that I will choose a narrative from scripture, like Jesus calming the storm or the woman anointing Jesus’ feet. I will read it slowly several times. Then, I will close my eyes and place myself within the story, so to speak, imagining myself as one figure in the story. Then from that posture, I will communicate with the Lord.
I have had some profound experiences with the Lord this way. One time, when I was really struggling, I saw myself as the raging sea and Jesus raising his hands and calming me. Another, I was the child Jesus cradled among the disciples.
I use the “Jesus Prayer” meditatively as well, simply to re-center myself on him and focus my attention on my need for God (”Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner”). I don’t know if these will be considered unBaptistic (as if there’s a “Baptist” way to pray), but I’ll just throw it out there anyway.
Grace and peace,
Emily
July 31st, 2007 at 11:53 am
Well, I am not the well read SBC blogger I once was, or I could guarantee that someone would be along shortly to explain what the Baptist Distinctives are in prayer.
One thing is for sure, if they were to arrive, they would not likely agree that PPL is among those distinctives.
July 31st, 2007 at 1:05 pm
Bill Hybels book TOO BUSY NOT TO PRAY changed my prayer life. I began to write out my prayers because it caused me to slow down and think about what I’m saying. I do that during the week every morning @ Starbucks. I have a separate Quiet Time Devotion @ night @ home.
July 31st, 2007 at 2:18 pm
I’ve used the “Jesus Prayer” often, but not as a part of my quiet time. I find myself saying it at different times throughout the day.
I used to listen to instrumental music, like the album “In The Quiet Hours,” by Phil Keaggy. But, I’ve not been able to do that in a long time. Maybe I’m getting old, but I really like things to be quiet around me when I pray and read scripture.
Tim
July 31st, 2007 at 3:43 pm
Art,
Great POST for sharing Our Love for GOD!!!
Tim Dahl,
That is the reson we call it Quite Time, best in the Early Morning. I also use the following for searching my Heart. THE GOLDEN BOOK OF OSWALD CHAMBERS and Today is a ministry of The Back to God Hour
http://www.BacktoGod.net/
email: btgh@crcna.org
800.879.6555;
In His Name
Wayne Smith
August 2nd, 2007 at 7:36 pm
I have chosen to read Phyllis Tickle’s “The Divine Hours”. It is a book of Common Prayer that Scot McKnight recommended. There are 4 prayer times that the book works through based on the prayer life of Jews in the first century, you know, when Jesus was around. I have found that when I get two of these each day – morning and evening specifically – it actually centers my prayer life and my focus on Jesus. Like Paul Littleton, my next move may be to prayer beads.