LEARNING TO PRAY, Pt. 2…4/19/08
by SteveNow the second thing: You don’t need to repeat yourself. In Jesus’ sermon he said:
And when you are praying, do not use meaningless repetition, as the Gentiles do, for they suppose they will be heard for their many words. Therefore do not be like them; for your Father knows what you need before you ask him. (Matt. 6:7-8)
What does that mean to you? It says to me that Jesus never saw prayer as pleading or begging or hammering away at the throne of God. He knew God as a Father who knows his children, who knows what we need, when we need it. So in order to connect with God, we don’t need to use many words.
Have you ever noticed how much meaningless repetition there seems to be in some prayers? Those tired, overworked words and phrases that we constantly use. Some of those we need to lay aside. I challenge you to pray without using “bless,” or “lead, guide, and direct,” or “each and every,” or any number of those hackneyed words we can’t seem to stop using in our prayers.
Listen to a brand new Christian pray, those who are just starting out and haven’t learned “the proper way” to do it yet. They talk to God like God is their friend. They use words that anybody can understand, and sometimes they laugh or even cry. Or you might try using music. Sing to God. Use the the psalms or the hymnbook if you don’t know the words. But get out of the prayer rut you’re probably in. Do something different, fresh, and exciting, whatever it takes to guard against meaningless words.
RSS
Steve,
I thought about this in yesterdays blog but didn’t comment but I have a question that this brings to my curious sponge of a mind. Then why is our way of worship on Sunday so traditional? Think of all the prayers that are said. We say them by heart and don’t even think about the true meaning behind them. So what is the purpose in saying them in every service? I like the do something different, fresh and exciting part!!!!!!!!! However, most services aren’t that way. We say the prayer and then go on with no meaning. How can this be changed or should it be?
Yeah, Tammy, I always thought there should a few silent minutes after Steve’s sermon to let it ‘sink in’ a little.
Perhaps we can sneak a prayer in as well.
Tammy…I think we’re in something of a worship rut at UGUMC too! But when I put this before the worship committee, none of them wanted to change anything we were doing. Variety comes in the prayers, music, and affirmations of faith we use, not to mention the sermon. But there is a healthy mix of traditional stuff like the Lord’s Prayer. Every time I hear children’s voices rising above the congregation while we pray it, I remember why we do it. And I figure that if a prayer has no meaning for someone, that’s a personal problem, not the fault of the prayer. As I said to my folks this morning, we get out of worship what we put into it!
And Zoe…I like the idea of a little quiet time following the sermon. I think we’ll try that. Would have done it today, but the sermon went long!
SO WHAT IF THE SERMON WENT TO LONG. YOU ARE TO FOLLOW THE SPIRIT, NOT THE TIME.