PASTOR’S PERSPECTIVE: “THE PRAYINGEST PRAYER I EVER PRAYED”.
By: Ron Woodrum
Several years ago, in the 1920’s, when Albert Einstein was teaching at Princeton University, a student asked, “What is there left in the world for original doctoral dissertation research?” Einstein replied, “Find out about prayer. Somebody MUST find out about PRAYER!” Prayer-when it comes to prayer most people, Christian or not, admit that prayer plays a vital role in their lives. Patricia Hampl, in her book Virgin Time: In Search of the Contemplative Life, wrote “For prayer exists, no question about that. It is the peculiarly human response to the fact of this endless mystery of bliss and brutality, impersonal might and lyric intimacy that compases the experience of life.” I had never quite heard prayer defined that way-“the peculiarly human response to mystery of bliss and brutality…of life”. The more I think about that the more accurate I think it may be. Psychiatrist Gerald C. May observed, “After twenty years of listening to the yearnings of people’s hearts, I am convinced that human beings have an inborn desire for God. Whether we are consciously religious or not, this desire is our deepest longing and most precious treasure.” When you talk with ordinary people about prayer their responses seem to verify both statements above. When asked “is prayer important to you?” Most replied, “Oh yes!” “How often do you pray?” “Every day!” “How long?” “Five minutes-well maybe seven”. “Do you find prayer satisfying?” “Not really!” “Do you sense the presence of God when you pray?” “Occasionally-not often”. Those responses seem to confirm what Martin Lloyd Jones, the British Pastor, used to say about prayer. He said, “Of all the activities in which the Christian engages, and which are part of the Christian life, there is surely none which causes so much perplexity, and raises so many problems, as the activity we call prayer.” And yet, it is true what Thomas Merton had to say-“Prayer is an expression of who we are…We are a living incompleteness. We are a gap, an emptiness that calls for fulfillment”. Yet some Christians struggle with the real benefit of prayer. George Buttrick expressed his doubts by calling prayer-“casting a spasm of words into a cosmic indifference”. Many Christians are like the nasal-voiced Ernestdine, the telephone operator, played by Lily Tomlin, who used to ask, “Have I reached the party to whom I am speaking?”
All that being said, Jesus did not take long to communicate to His disciples just how important prayer was to Him, and getting them to finally see how important it should be to them! Jesus never once told his disciples that prayer was important. He never once gave them lectures on prayer-driving home the theological priority of prayer. Instead, as they walked with him. .. As they followed Him through the days and nights of discipleship…every time He came up missing, (which was often), when they found Him, they found Him praying and in intimate communion with His Heavenly Father. Finally, after so many encounters they entreated Him to teach them to pray. He taught prayer more by practice than precept! The precepts were simple. The practice-a struggle! Jesus practiced prayer with such simplicity and constancy as He did breathing. Jonathan Edwards found it to be so as well. He said, “Prayer is as natural an expression of faith as breathing is an expression of life”. Martin Luther did as well, “To be a Christian without prayer is no more possible than to be alive without breathing.” Rowland Hill agreed-“Prayer is the breath of the newborn soul and there can be no Christian life without it”. If those statements reflect the normal Christian life-then we might conclude some Christians can really hold their breath a long long time! Most seem to be in danger of suffocating-if prayer is to the spiritual world, what breathing is to the physical world!
But the disciples who followed closely in the steps of Jesus soon learned some vital lessons about prayer. First and foremost they learned that prayer was an expression of love. Augustine said, “True, whole prayer is nothing but love”. Samuel Coleridge declared, in the Rime of the Ancient Mariner-“He prayeth well, who loveth well”. Jesus demonstrated that! Jesus missed His Father. Prayer was not some exercise that was demanded of Him by the Father. It was love calling out to love. It was Heart reaching out for Heart. Real prayer does not come from gritting our teeth but from falling in love! That is why Charles Wesley could write, “Jesus Lover of My Soul-Let me to thy bosom fly!”. Richard J. Foster, in his book on Prayer, writes “God has graciously allowed me to catch a glimpse of His heart…He is inviting you and me to come home…where we belong. His arms are stretched out wide to receive us. His heart is enlarged to take us in…Prayer is nothing more than an ongoing and growing love relationship with God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.” Madame Guyon, the French Mystic wrote, “This is the way of prayer, this simple relationship to your Lord…so suited for everyone…it has as its end totally abandoned love to the Lord. One thing is required-LOVE!” Prayer is a precious privilege.
Secondly, prayer is progressive. C.S. Lewis counsels us to “lay before Him what is in us, not what ought to be in us!” The model prayer Jesus taught us is simple. It is also profound. It is indeed simply profound. But it is not words to be recited. It is a pattern to be developed. The Bible is filled with the prayers of God’s children who were growing as they prayed. Moses chided the Lord for saddling him with a rebellious people that he did not give birth to. But in the process of prayer he interceded for the forgiveness of their sin. If God blotted them out of his book of life, Moses pleaded for the same fate for himself. Prayer had been a real source of growth for him. The Psalmist prayed some very terrible prays pleading for the dashing of infants of enemies on the rocks…but before the prayer was over understood the mercy and love of God that even reached out to the enemies who would turn to Him. (See Numbers 11 and Psalm 137).
Thirdly prayer is powerful. John Wesley always said, “God works ONLY in answer to prayer!” Donald Grey Barnhouse said, “I am not sure I believe in the power of prayer…but I do believe in the power of God who answers prayer!” So did Jesus. He taught His disciples to put their faith in a Big God who answers Big Prayers! Though the Bible teaches a lot about the priority, the position, the practice, and the precepts of prayer…the most important thing for us to learn is to pray. Pray anytime. Pray all the time. Pray about everything. We might find out what Cyrus Brown found out. The
Prayer of Cyrus Brown
By Sam Walter Foss (1858-1911)
“THE PROPER way for a man to pray,”
Said Deacon Lemuel Keyes,
“And the only proper attitude,
Is down upon his knees.”
“No, I should say the way to pray,”
Said Reverend Doctor Wise,
“Is standing straight, with outstretched arms,
And rapt and upturned eyes.”
“Oh no; no, no,” said Elder Slow,
“Such posture is too proud:
A man should pray with eyes fast closed
And head contritely bowed.”
“It seems to me his hands should be
Austerely clasped in front,
With both thumbs pointing toward the ground,”
Said Reverend Doctor Blunt.
“Las’ year I fell in Hodgkin’s well
Head first,” said Cyrus Brown,
“With both my heels a-stickin’ up,
My head a-p’inting down;
“An’ I made a prayer right then an’ there—
Best prayer I ever said,
The prayingest prayer I ever prayed,
A-standing on my head.”
I love what Frederick Buechner always said-“let your best prayer take you as far as you can go!”