When I was a little girl, I would run into my grandfather’s house full of excitement. But just as I approached the family room, I would often pause and peek over at his blue rocking chair. I was looking at whether it was safe or not to enter. There was only one major reason I respectfully approached him without a loud noise or scare, and that was because I was entering a holy space. More times than not, I would find my grandfather on his knees crying out to God in prayer. I never wanted to disturb him, but I marveled at what I heard and saw. I was curious about his prayers. I was intrigued with how personal he was with God through prayer. My grandfather was a man who cried out to God often in prayer. This prayer didn’t sound like your Sunday school kind of prayer or before bed “now I lay me down to sleep”, but a gut wrenching, humble, honest, authentic, intercessory kind of prayer. Why are those prayers even important? What can we learn from the life of Jesus? The most notable gut-wrenching prayer in Jesus’ life was his time in the garden of Gethsemane before his crucifixion. He knew he was about to face death literally and fulfill his mission, but even there in the agony of it all he depended on His Father.
In Luke 22:42 Jesus says “Father, if you are willing, take this cup from me; yet not my will but yours be done”. How many times do we approach God in prayer like he is a genie in a bottle making all our desires come true? I am thankful that God didn’t always answer in my time or in my way because it forced my dependance on Him. He saw a better way than me. He answered according to His will and purpose for my life instead. If Jesus needed prayer, how much more do we? Prayer is an act of dependence. It speaks to the humble reliance and confidence in a God for whatever you are facing.
1 Thessalonians 5:17 talks about praying continually. Ephesians 6 talks about always praying. As you read this, you may be thinking that seems unattainable. How do you always pray continually? I think Paul is giving us some insight into prayer and what this means. It does not mean that we are on our hands and knees 24 hours a day in the act of prayer. I believe Paul is talking about a life devoted to prayer but more importantly a life devoted to dependence on God. This means when I wake up, when I go about my day, when I am in the car, when I am awake at night, my life is devoted to prayer and dependence on God. Do I come to Him in prayer for my continual needs? Am I offering praise and gratitude throughout the day? Am I praying for the needs of others around me? Am I yielding and submitting to His will as I pray? Praying to God does not need to be a performance with fancy words or with many words. Jesus taught us in Matthew 6 that “when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father who sees what is done in secret, will reward you”. God personally invites us into an honest and humble relationship with Him where we can come to Him at any time. Some of those times may not even involve words, but with tears and heartfelt cries. Jesus’ ministry on earth was directly related to time with His Father. He often withdrew to lonely places or climbed mountains to get alone with his dad. It brought him the necessary perspective and power needed to serve and fulfill his mission. We need the same perspective and power. If you don’t know how or what to pray, follow Jesus’s words left for us in Matthew.
Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name,
Your kingdom come, Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our debts,
As we also forgive our debtors.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For thine is the kingdom, power, and glory forever. Amen.
Grace and Love always,
Jennifer