In these days, He went out to the mountain to pray; and all night He continued in prayer to God. And when it was day, He called His disciples, and chose from them twelve, whom He named apostles. Luke 6:11-12
What is prayer? How do we pray? Why do we pray?
If we truly understand the answers to these questions, prayer will become more of a joy in our lives. Many people approach prayer the way that someone approaches a vending machine. They offer a prayer and expect an answer, the same way that when one approaches a vending machine, they put money in and get a product out, and not just any product, the one they specifically want. The problem with looking at prayer like a vending machine is two-fold. First, we only go to the vending machine when we are hungry—most people don’t go to the vending machine every day or multiple times a day. So, one problem with the vending machine approach to prayer is that in doing it this way, we are only going to God in prayer when we need something. Second, the vending machine spits out whatever candy or soda we punched the button for. If it put out something different, most certainly we wouldn’t use it. The second problem with the vending machine approach to prayer is when God doesn’t answer our prayer (or let’s call it request or order, because that’s more accurate), we stop going to Him, we become discouraged from praying.
Prayer, simply put, is being with God. In today’s Scripture verses, we see that Jesus was about to make an important decision. He had many disciples and was going to choose from them twelve, who would be His Apostles. Before making this important decision, Jesus went out to a mountain to pray and He offered prayer continuously all night. Those who pray using the vending machine model are not likely to pray all night. They make their quick deposit and expect a quick answer. Jesus did not approach prayer like a vending machine. Instead, He approached prayer as sacred time with God the Father, and thus He went by Himself up to the mountain to pray, to be with God, to speak with Him, and to listen to Him, before making the important decision He was about to make.
What is prayer? Prayer is simply communicating with God, being with God.
Why do we pray? Prayer is an act of intimacy with God, where we speak, not to another human being, but to the Divine God Himself. In prayer we also hear from God. How is that? We don’t necessarily hear an audible voice from God in answer to the things we say to Him. In establishing an intimacy of prayer, God stirs our hearts. In prayer our hearts becoming open to “hearing” God’s thoughts. I can’t tell you how many times I have been in a prayerful state, and God has put a thought on my heart or in my mind. For instance, many times when I’m counseling someone, hearing them pour their heart out, crying about their problems and challenges. I often pray as I’m listening for God to give me a thought that provide guidance, direction and encouragement to the person I am with. More times than I can count, a profound thought comes to my head, and I share it with them. Other times, a thought comes that surprises me, that seems to not relate at all to what is being discussed. And again more times than I can count, I have shared what seems like an odd thought and it ends up being just what the person needs to hear. I do not pray to God for material gain, or even to do well at something. In my work, I pray only for God to guide my mind and my mouth so that I can be helpful in representing Him to others.
As for how we are to pray, let’s first discuss how not to pray. Christ tells us not to make a spectacle of our prayers (Matthew 6:5-6) or heap up empty phrases (Matthew 6:7). While it is not necessary to pray out loud, especially when one is alone, often I choose to pray out loud, even when alone, because it slows down my thoughts. I imagine if someone is standing next to me, and I speak slow enough that if someone was there, what I was praying would be easily understood. If we spoke at the speed we are thinking, probably no one would understand us. Slow prayer down. It’s not the amount of words we offer, and certainly not the speed at which we offer them that is important. It is that we offer them, that we offer them with honesty and sincerity, that we open ourselves up to God in a way that is intimate and vulnerable, and that we are patient in listening to the thoughts that God puts into our hearts when we are in a prayerful state.
While ideally we put aside specific time to pray each morning and each night, and also to pray at certain moments of the day, the most important thing about prayer is neither the amount of words of prayer, nor even the amount of time we spend. Prayer is about a soft and sincere heart that longs for God, that longs to open itself to hear God’s voice. Whether one prays from a book of prayers or from the heart, it is offering prayer that matters.
Lord, I know not what to ask of You. You alone know what my true needs are. You love me more than I know how to love. Help me to see my real needs which may be hidden from me. I dare not ask for either a cross or a consolation. I can only wait upon You; my heart is open to You. Visit and help me in Your steadfast love. Strike me and heal me; cast me down and raise me up. I worship in silence Your holy will. I offer myself to You as a living sacrifice. I put all my trust in You. I have no other desire than to fulfill Your will. Teach me to pray. Pray Yourself in me. Amen. (Prayer of Metropolitan Philaret of Moscow)
Pray today!
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