Tuesday, March 07, 2006
Prayer Can Be Dynamic
His gnarled fingers clung tightly to the dilapidated, leather-bound book from which he had been reading aloud. With blurred vision he watched a tear splash onto the yellowed parchment. He realized he was fumbling nervously with the book from which his great grandfather had read his prayers. How ironic, because “fumbling” so well described his efforts to connect with God, of late. How could someone as advanced in age as he feel so ignorant about God? He was startled by his own voice as questions escaped through His trembling lips, “God are you there? Can you hear me? Why can’t I seem to find you?”
Since his recent illness and subsequent retirement, he often found himself sitting alone in his room weeping, searching for God and for meaning to a life that was well nigh spent. “How does one pray?” he often wondered. Then in an effort to arrest God’s attention he would open the book which he now held in His hands and read prayers that strangers had committed to paper in ancient times. Admittedly, the prayers were proper and eloquent, but these times of weeping and reading left his heart aching still. He had so many questions about praying: “What do I say? Should I fold my hands? Should I stand or sit? How should I address God? Does God let just anyone talk to Him? Is He trying to talk to me?”
Unfortunately his life as a husband, father and professor had been extremely busy, leaving little time for attention to God or the Bible in his adult years, but stories told to him a half-century ago in a small Sunday School class raced back through his mind. He could recall tales of great men like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, Peter & Paul. He seemed to remember them praying, but not from a book of scripted prayers. If his memory served him correctly, they talked to God almost as if He were a real person. And, oh, the wonderful things that happened as a result of those men’s prayers.
This powerful passion to connect with God had recently been overwhelming enough that he had sheepishly asked friends and acquaintances what they thought about prayer. The answers he got were varied and confusing. Some insisted that prayer should be silent while others argued that praying out loud was more effectual. He was assured by one man that prayers were simply to be spoken out of duty and, by another, that repetition was the key to satisfaction in prayer. Well-meaning Christians advised him to pray in faith, pray in the Spirit, speak to mountains, and intercede. The maze was endless!
As another wave of emotion flooded his soul, he heard himself blubbering “God I just want to feel connected to you. How do I do that? Should I hum, or chant, or repeat sacred phrases? Is prayer an incantation, a ritual, or a mandatory duty?” Suddenly he sensed something very special – like the chill that swept over him whenever the flag passed by. As he wiped the tears from his eyes it dawned on him that he had a deep sense of warmth and peace. It was almost as if someone was in the room with him and was speaking to him. It wasn’t an audible sound; it was more like a loud thought. One word was ringing in his mind. It was all he could think about for a few minutes. Over and over in his mind it tumbled: “dynamic.. dynamic..dynamic.” Was God trying to say something?
Being an educator it was only natural that he should reference the nearest dictionary. As he typed out the online query and pressed “enter” he pondered, “What in the world could the word “dynamic” have to do with prayer?” The screen flickered and his eyes scanned the following entry:
dy·nam·ic (d -n m k) adj.
1. Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion.
2. Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress.
3. Marked by intensity and vigor; forceful.
4. Of or relating to variation of intensity, as in musical sound. (Dictionary.com)
There it was! Prayer is not to be a ritual or a somber reading of scripted verses penned by the monks of yesteryear. Prayer should be a lively, energetic, conversation with our Maker. It should be moving, intense, and vigorous. It should be a continuously changing interaction with our Heavenly Father that varies in intensity and purpose; an adventure. Prayer should be our daily staff meeting with the God who has promised to order our steps, provide for our daily needs, and make a path for us in the wilderness.
Dare he hope for such a possibility? Could this new understanding be the start of a new excursion into God’s world? Was he about to step into corridors and conversations that would lead him to a prayer life of immeasurable expanse and variety? I certainly hope so, because no other endeavor is so powerful, so life-changing, and so fulfilling. Nobody lives a life more exciting than the life of a prayer warrior. Perhaps you can relate to the man in this story. Or maybe you have embarked on a journey of prayer and have experienced the dynamics of communicating with your Creator and Savior, but are not quite sure where to go from here. Many faithful prayer warriors encounter seasons in their prayer life when they run out of things to say, lose the motivation to pray, get stuck in a prayer rut, or sense that God is wanting to take their prayer time to a more dynamic level. How’s your prayer life? Maybe God wants to take you to a whole new dimension. Just follow your hunger.
This article has become the first chapter of the book Passageways of Prayer which can be purchased at "Inspirations" bookstore.
Since his recent illness and subsequent retirement, he often found himself sitting alone in his room weeping, searching for God and for meaning to a life that was well nigh spent. “How does one pray?” he often wondered. Then in an effort to arrest God’s attention he would open the book which he now held in His hands and read prayers that strangers had committed to paper in ancient times. Admittedly, the prayers were proper and eloquent, but these times of weeping and reading left his heart aching still. He had so many questions about praying: “What do I say? Should I fold my hands? Should I stand or sit? How should I address God? Does God let just anyone talk to Him? Is He trying to talk to me?”
Unfortunately his life as a husband, father and professor had been extremely busy, leaving little time for attention to God or the Bible in his adult years, but stories told to him a half-century ago in a small Sunday School class raced back through his mind. He could recall tales of great men like Abraham, Moses, Daniel, Elijah, Peter & Paul. He seemed to remember them praying, but not from a book of scripted prayers. If his memory served him correctly, they talked to God almost as if He were a real person. And, oh, the wonderful things that happened as a result of those men’s prayers.
This powerful passion to connect with God had recently been overwhelming enough that he had sheepishly asked friends and acquaintances what they thought about prayer. The answers he got were varied and confusing. Some insisted that prayer should be silent while others argued that praying out loud was more effectual. He was assured by one man that prayers were simply to be spoken out of duty and, by another, that repetition was the key to satisfaction in prayer. Well-meaning Christians advised him to pray in faith, pray in the Spirit, speak to mountains, and intercede. The maze was endless!
As another wave of emotion flooded his soul, he heard himself blubbering “God I just want to feel connected to you. How do I do that? Should I hum, or chant, or repeat sacred phrases? Is prayer an incantation, a ritual, or a mandatory duty?” Suddenly he sensed something very special – like the chill that swept over him whenever the flag passed by. As he wiped the tears from his eyes it dawned on him that he had a deep sense of warmth and peace. It was almost as if someone was in the room with him and was speaking to him. It wasn’t an audible sound; it was more like a loud thought. One word was ringing in his mind. It was all he could think about for a few minutes. Over and over in his mind it tumbled: “dynamic.. dynamic..dynamic.” Was God trying to say something?
Being an educator it was only natural that he should reference the nearest dictionary. As he typed out the online query and pressed “enter” he pondered, “What in the world could the word “dynamic” have to do with prayer?” The screen flickered and his eyes scanned the following entry:
dy·nam·ic (d -n m k) adj.
1. Of or relating to energy or to objects in motion.
2. Characterized by continuous change, activity, or progress.
3. Marked by intensity and vigor; forceful.
4. Of or relating to variation of intensity, as in musical sound. (Dictionary.com)
There it was! Prayer is not to be a ritual or a somber reading of scripted verses penned by the monks of yesteryear. Prayer should be a lively, energetic, conversation with our Maker. It should be moving, intense, and vigorous. It should be a continuously changing interaction with our Heavenly Father that varies in intensity and purpose; an adventure. Prayer should be our daily staff meeting with the God who has promised to order our steps, provide for our daily needs, and make a path for us in the wilderness.
Dare he hope for such a possibility? Could this new understanding be the start of a new excursion into God’s world? Was he about to step into corridors and conversations that would lead him to a prayer life of immeasurable expanse and variety? I certainly hope so, because no other endeavor is so powerful, so life-changing, and so fulfilling. Nobody lives a life more exciting than the life of a prayer warrior. Perhaps you can relate to the man in this story. Or maybe you have embarked on a journey of prayer and have experienced the dynamics of communicating with your Creator and Savior, but are not quite sure where to go from here. Many faithful prayer warriors encounter seasons in their prayer life when they run out of things to say, lose the motivation to pray, get stuck in a prayer rut, or sense that God is wanting to take their prayer time to a more dynamic level. How’s your prayer life? Maybe God wants to take you to a whole new dimension. Just follow your hunger.
This article has become the first chapter of the book Passageways of Prayer which can be purchased at "Inspirations" bookstore.
Grace To You, and Peace
Johnny sits at the kitchen table, staring despondently at the heap of peas that remain untouched on his dinner plate. His mother is chiding, “If you don’t eat your vegetables God is going to be mad at you.” In the church across town Julie listens attentively to her Bible teacher as she is warned, “If you steal God will send you to Hell.” Just a few street away Aaron’s mom is doing her best to get him to go to church with her as she declares, “If you don’t go to church you’ll be in trouble with God.” Sound familiar? Have you ever heard someone threaten God’s wrath in the name of discipline?
Grant it, it is good to eat vegetables, it is wrong to steal and it is important to worship God. Unfortunately, however, due to encounters like those just mentioned, many well-meaning people have inadvertently turned the primary message of the Bible on its head. God’s Word to mankind is one of hope, not one of condemnation. Even Jesus proclaimed, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47)
If you grew up being threatened by the wrath of God, it might be pleasantly surprising to discover that the Bible is a book that is full of grace. In fact, a very common phrase in Scripture is: “grace to you.” That phrase, or one very similar, is found in 63 verses of the Bible. Those verses are spread throughout 19 different books of the Bible. Many other Bible concepts underscore the Good News that God has extended His grace to all mankind. He came to restore us unto Himself! (Colossians 1:20) He is trying to fix it so that everyone can have a great relationship with Him.
In other words, God is not looking for us to be good for His sake; He is looking for an opportunity to love us and empower us to do good for our sakes. God is not asking people for confessions or repentance, rather He is offering them forgiveness via repentance. (1 John 1:9) God does not demand baptism, instead, He offers to wash away sin when people obey Him and are baptized. (Acts 22:16) God does not demand that people be filled with His Spirit, but He does offer to give power to those who want to live a Spirit-led life. (Acts 2:38) God does the giving and believers to the receiving and implementing. It’s a great deal for us! God is on our side!
This concept is made clear in the scriptures that explain, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:10,19) God first extends His love and grace. Then, once mankind is able to accept that grace, they can respond by developing a loving, obedient relationship with their Savior. He loves – we respond.
God offers grace - which can be defined as “unmerited favor.” The result of Him loving us and us loving Him back is peace; a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). We can have peace because He loves us unconditionally. We can have peace when we respond to Him by loving Him back. We can enjoy peace because the lifestyle he inspires is honorable and abundant. Peace will be the product of the many experiences a true believer will have with God as they pray, worship and apply His principles to their life.
God is not looking for a reason to judge, He is looking for people who will cooperate with His “saving plan.” He gracefully throws out a life saving message and patiently waits for people to reach out and accept grace on His terms. Grace to you, and peace….
Grant it, it is good to eat vegetables, it is wrong to steal and it is important to worship God. Unfortunately, however, due to encounters like those just mentioned, many well-meaning people have inadvertently turned the primary message of the Bible on its head. God’s Word to mankind is one of hope, not one of condemnation. Even Jesus proclaimed, “I came not to judge the world, but to save the world.” (John 12:47)
If you grew up being threatened by the wrath of God, it might be pleasantly surprising to discover that the Bible is a book that is full of grace. In fact, a very common phrase in Scripture is: “grace to you.” That phrase, or one very similar, is found in 63 verses of the Bible. Those verses are spread throughout 19 different books of the Bible. Many other Bible concepts underscore the Good News that God has extended His grace to all mankind. He came to restore us unto Himself! (Colossians 1:20) He is trying to fix it so that everyone can have a great relationship with Him.
In other words, God is not looking for us to be good for His sake; He is looking for an opportunity to love us and empower us to do good for our sakes. God is not asking people for confessions or repentance, rather He is offering them forgiveness via repentance. (1 John 1:9) God does not demand baptism, instead, He offers to wash away sin when people obey Him and are baptized. (Acts 22:16) God does not demand that people be filled with His Spirit, but He does offer to give power to those who want to live a Spirit-led life. (Acts 2:38) God does the giving and believers to the receiving and implementing. It’s a great deal for us! God is on our side!
This concept is made clear in the scriptures that explain, “Herein is love, not that we loved God, but that he loved us, and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love him, because he first loved us.” (I John 4:10,19) God first extends His love and grace. Then, once mankind is able to accept that grace, they can respond by developing a loving, obedient relationship with their Savior. He loves – we respond.
God offers grace - which can be defined as “unmerited favor.” The result of Him loving us and us loving Him back is peace; a peace that passes understanding (Philippians 4:7). We can have peace because He loves us unconditionally. We can have peace when we respond to Him by loving Him back. We can enjoy peace because the lifestyle he inspires is honorable and abundant. Peace will be the product of the many experiences a true believer will have with God as they pray, worship and apply His principles to their life.
God is not looking for a reason to judge, He is looking for people who will cooperate with His “saving plan.” He gracefully throws out a life saving message and patiently waits for people to reach out and accept grace on His terms. Grace to you, and peace….
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