The Apostle Paul tells us in First Thessalonians 5:17 to "Pray without ceasing". In the New Testament we find the word "pray" mentioned around fifty times and "prayer" approximately thirty times, depending on the translation used. In the Old Testament, the two words are used approximately twice as often. It can therefore be reasonably deduced that prayer is suppose to be a significant part of the Christian lifestyle. If the truth be told many of us find our prayer practices, if they exist at all, to be somewhat lacking.
Before discussing this, it must be clearly stated that there is absolutely no valid reason for any practicing Christian to not have a personal prayer life! While we may attempt to explain away this situation, there are no excuses. And in fact, that is the point of this discussion, to make ourselves aware that there are no excuses. Becoming aware of our failings is half the battle. The other half of the battle is coming to grips with our flaws, with regard to our prayer life, and working them out.
The first question most of us will think to ask ourselves is "what is prayer?" A better question might be "what prayer is not?" The obvious and correct answer to the first question, prayer is how we talk to God. As Christians, we are supposed to have a personal relationship with God. Without communication, a.k.a. prayer, this relationship can not and does not exist. Or, as Matthew Henry so succinctly puts it; "If prayerless, then graceless." The second question is harder to answer, because determining what prayer is not will infringe on many of the cherished traditions of men.
Jesus has much to say about prayer in the sixth chapter of Matthew. The "Lords Prayer" (v 9-13), of which most Christians are familiar, appears in this section of scripture. Taken by it self, this can be somewhat misleading to many people. The meat of the matter and the key to interpretation is found in the earlier section (v 5-8). While focusing on these sections the astute student needs to also place them in the context of the chapter and book in which they appear, as well as within the context of the whole Bible.
Verses five and six would seem to be an indictment against public prayer, and an exhortation to private prayer. This should not, however, be taken to mean all public prayer is bad, only the traditionalized, formalized, ritualized, sanitized, stylized, and politically correct prayers that are far more prevalent than most would think. These types of prayers are delivered for men rather than for God (v 5, 7). Lewis Carole in "The Hunting of the Snark" uses the "Rule of Three" which seems to be a repeated motif in many public prayers. That is to say, if you say something three times, it must be true. Many have put this rule into practice during public prayer, and some public prayer would seem to be small well organized essays unto themselves with an introduction, body, and conclusion.
When presented by a good orator, such prayers tend to have two opposite and detrimental consequences. One consequence being that a standard has been set, so the next public prayer has to be grander, longer, and more eloquent. This leads to a "prayer escalation" contest in which there is no thought given to the reasons or content of prayer, instead becoming a contest for who can deliver the best performance. At the other end are those who may not be as eloquent or well spoken, and who do not wish to compete. They, of course, will cease to engage in public prayer.
Public prayer is one of the great quandaries of the church. While most of what passes for public prayer is not really prayer, it is also one of the few times that the majority of people make any attempt to pray at all. The problems with public prayer are exemplified by the remarks made in this section of Matthew; "be not like the hypocrites", "be seen by men", "babble", "vain words". None of these problems are found in private prayer. Because whether, and how, we engage in private prayer is strictly between ourselves and God.
Public prayer is very effective when done right. When done right, it can also encourage and edify others to a stronger and richer prayer life, which is always a good thing. However, to be effective, and to stay focused on the reasons we pray, there are a few suggested guidelines that should be followed. Keep it simple! Keep it short! Do not repeat yourself! Above all, there are no magic formulas for prayer. Praying is talking to God, so talk to him and not to men. And always remember, God knows your needs before you ask (v 8).
Last update : Saturday, 15 September 2007
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