QUESTION 7
How
Should We Pray?
Our Lord Jesus Christ, Himself,
tells us how we should not pray, contrasting it with how we should!
We should never pray just to be seen to be praying. Prayer is an audience
with God and should never be feigned. There is no place for pretence. Just
'going through the motions' is not prayer but mere exhibitionism. Instead,
it should be a time of awe and respect and of deep concentration on the
matters being brought up to God.
Mt.6:5
And whenever you may be praying, you shall not be as the hypocrites,
for they are fond of standing
in the synagogues
and at the corners of the
squares to be praying, so that they may appear to men.
Verily, I am saying to you,
They are collecting their wages!
Mt.6:6 Now you,
whenever you may be praying, enter into your storeroom,
and, locking your door,
pray to your Father Who is in hiding,
and your Father, Who is
observing in hiding, will be paying you.
People of other 'faiths' also
pray. Invariably, especially in public prayer, these take the form of chants
and mantras that are repeated over and over again. To aid in remembering
the number of auspicious repetitions prayer beads are often used.
Since only a small number of repetitions can be actually said in a given
time, some have resorted to the spinning of prayer wheels. These
allow them to 'get it out faster' the quicker the wheels move and
the more wheels there are. Very soon they may even take this method
to cyber extremes. It does border on the ridiculous, yet men do it all
the same. And even Christians have adapted some such forms for prayer.
Catholics 'say' their rosaries and 'recite' their numerous litanies. Charismatics
become rapt in their 'tarry'ings.
Nowadays, prayer seems to
have lost its true essence - a spontaneous outpouring of the spirit to
God. Instead, it has become stereotyped and a lifeless acquiecsence
to formality. It is forced into pre-set formats and comes out of orchestration
and ceremony. Minds wander through all sorts of subjects, except the one
at hand, waiting for the cue to say an 'Amen' to what has just been said
- but which they have not the slightest inkling of!
It is quite common among
Christians, in group prayer, for each one to take a turn in praying. It
is predominant to find that each one tends to repeat what has already
been said though, perhaps, with different words. What is the objective
of such repetition? Do we hope that perhaps one of the group will be able
to say it with just the right phrasing and inflection to touch some responsive
string in God? What do such people mean when they append the 'Amen' to
the end of each one's 'contribution'?
Many Christians organise
'prayer chains' and 'prayer circles' where a relay of prayers
ensure that there is a continuous offering of prayer for some particular
intention. Are we trying to catch God at some time-slot when He is awake
and alert? Are we going to brow-beat Him until we get the response we want?
Do we aim to convince God that He should take some 'positive action' since
so many of His children request it? Are we advocating democracy and 'a
right of the individual to have a say in the operations of government'?
Are we part of a vociferous protest demonstration? Are we submitting a
memorandum to God? Are we giving Him an ultimatum? Does God have to acquiesce
to the majority? Will God not do what has to be done if His children do
not request it or prod Him out of His forgetfulness?
Mt.6:7,8
in praying, you should not use useless repetitions even as those
of the nations.
For they are supposing that
they will be hearkened to in their loquacity.
Do not, then, be like them,
for aware is God,
your Father, of what you have need before you request Him.
Often we forget our God-determined
individual positions as sons of God and that we are, together, the
son of God in Christ as His complement! We are in Christ,
seated at the right hand of God, high above the very celestials! What other
credentials do we need to approach God with confidence and assurance of
a hearing? We do not need to 'gang up' on God.
What if God's answer is in
the negative? Do we pound Him with the same requests until He gives in
to our wishes? Will God send down His Son any earlier than scheduled just
because all Christians would like Him to? Does God produce blessings 'on
demand'? Do we seek to do His will - or do we expect Him to conform His
will to ours? We seem to have turned the tables on God. We make it seem
that God makes up His 'final' will only after consideration of our will,
or after a consultation with our representative councils and synods. Who
do we really recognise as the Deity - the Father of Jesus Christ, or our
good selves? If we can go through the motions, follow the rites, and perform
the rituals and have God respond to these, then WE must be the deity
and He the obedient servant! It is important, therefore, that we put things
in proper order.
It will be well for us to
heed the directions of Scripture concerning our motives in prayer. Otherwise,
we can only expect disappointment and frustration and desperation.
Jas.4:3 You
are requesting and not obtaining, because you are requesting evilly,
that you should be spending
it on your gratifications.
Rom.8:6-9 For
the disposition of the flesh is death,
yet the disposition of the
spirit is life and peace,
because the disposition
of the flesh is enmity to God,
for it is not subject to
the law of God, for neither is it able.
Now those who are in flesh
are not able to please God.
Yet you are not in flesh,
but in spirit, if so be that God's spirit is making its home
in you.
As sons of God (Rom.8:14-16),
we should exhibit Christ's spirit (Rom.8:9), our disposition made
to accord with that of our Lord, endeavouring towards complete obedience
to the Father's will, doing all for His glory (Phil.2:5-8). Faith
in God, that He knows exactly what He is doing at all times and
in every situation, should be the underlying cause for confidence in our
prayers.
1Jn.5:14,15
And this is the boldness which we have toward Him,
that if we should be requesting
anything according to His will, He is hearing us.
And if ever we are aware
that He is hearing us, whatever we may be requesting,
we are aware that we have
the requests which we have requested from Him.
Phil.4:6,7
Do not worry about anything, but in everything,
by prayer and petition,
with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God,
and the peace of God, that
is superior to every frame of mind,
shall be garrisoning
your hearts and your apprehensions in Christ Jesus.
September 2001
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