devotionFOURTHTEEN - Prayer: A Beginning

I am a beginner in the discipline of prayer. Perhaps I always will be. It is a discipline rich enough to fill our whole lives, because it is relationship with God. I grew up in a faith tradition that, while it thinks highly of prayer and sincerely affirms it, never taught me how to pray. And there is no question that prayer is difficult and mysterious. Many books on prayer that I find on bookstore shelves and in library stacks begin with the author’s concession about how much he does not know about prayer. There is always something of prayer that remains shrouded in mystery, because we’re communing with God, who is profoundly other, spectacularly higher than we are.

But at the same time, much of what is knowable about prayer remains a mystery to so many of us simply because we keep it at arm’s length. Some of us fear the intimacy, we fear the silence—we are utterly discomfited by the quietness. Some of us are faithless and no longer really believe in the efficacy of prayer—we have come to believe that prayer does nothing. Some of us are disappointed by prayer: We have asked God to act or move in a certain way and have been met only with silence, and our lives remain in a state of pain and turmoil.

I have been frightened by the silence of prayer—by communion with the Holy One, the Almighty. I have allowed sin to keep me from my Father. Maybe some of you are walking away from the very One who yearns to run to you and embrace you.

I have walked through periods of serious theological confusion about prayer. The reasoning was, “If God is sovereign and will do what he will do, is my prayer efficacious or even reasonable? In other words, if God is a theological juggernaut, then prayers of intercession and supplication are worthless, and I should only concern myself with prayers of thanksgiving and praise.” Maybe some of you are embracing that confusion.

I have been disappointed in prayer—prayed for healing and received none, prayed for relief and found none. I have misunderstood the purposes and person of God. Maybe some of you are losing hope just as I have.

There are many questions people have concerning prayer: What is it? What do I pray about? How do I pray? What is permissible, and impermissible, in prayer? Is there anything impermissible in prayer? Are there other kinds of prayer of which I should be aware, or is the spontaneous vocalization of my heart the extent of Christian prayer? Does prayer accomplish anything? When and how often should I pray? Where should I pray?

I want to struggle through some of these questions and begin to answer them for myself. I am not so foolish as to believe that I will be able to plumb the depths of prayer in these small articles or in my short lifetime. But come along with me anyway. Together we can extend our hands into the dark and slowly feel our way forward, using the lights that others have left for us in their exploration of this multifaceted and treasure-filled cavern. And we must pray—for that is the only way we will ever truly come to know how to pray.

We can begin. Try to commit to a discipline of prayer in your life. Maybe it will only be a moment or two before bed or as you rise, or five minutes during your lunch break. That is your decision, of course, but it is a decision that must be made.

Prayer is one of the most important things we fail to do. And it is not something we can set aside—it is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian.

kev

Prayer Request

Don't fret or worry. Instead of worrying, pray. Let petitions and praises shape your worries into prayers, letting God know your concerns. Before you know it, a sense of God's wholeness, everything coming together for good, will come and settle you down. It's wonderful what happens when Christ displaces worry at the center of your life. - Philippians 4:6

Eugene Lim: I need prayer for my assignments and also wisdom to guide my cell group members.

Lee Ling: That'll just be exams in May. Im definitely not prepared for mocks, so pray that I'll stay focussed and have that determination to study my best for the next 2 mths before finals.

Richard: Pray that I have wisdom, time management, sensitivity to hear God, in different areas in life.

Myrtle: Pray that I'm able to send out resumes soon! n take time to do my projects.(dont want it to be so last min..)

Christine: Please pray for more manageable exams in the upcoming weeks.

Kevin: Pray for directions of which church/cell group to settle in. Pray for my preparation for my upcoming prelims/final papers. I need to have more motivation and focus in my studies.

Glory: pray for God's guidance in preparing for g cube camp. lots of things to be done. need to prepare for scenarios, etc and we don't have much time. everyone's busy with exams. have to meet up this wkend to prepare and there's another paper next mon. yup. so keep me and my group in prayer!

Jessica/Gillian: All from UOL, so lets' keep them in prayer too as they are going through their mocks. Pray for good health and good spirit as they take time to prepare for exams.

Let us continue to keep one another in prayers daily. It can be a general pray to cover health, studies, family or anything. Prayer is a power weapon that God has given to us, so lets' use it to the fullest shall we? Lets' work hand-in-hand with our God in prayer and we will see wonders happening. Amen to that? Have a blessed week ahead guys!