LORD, TEACH US TO PRAY

Matthew 6: 5-8; Romans 8: 26-27

September 9, 2001

(Beginning of series on prayer)

We were gathered for dinner in a friend’s home; as we sat down for the delightful meal set before us, the host asked, "David, would you please say our prayer of thanks." I was at the hospital sitting beside the bed of a church member who was in for some tests. I took her hand and said, "Would you like to have prayer?" She replied yes. At the close of the prayer there were tears in her eyes as she sensed the presence of God but also the possible seriousness of her illness. We were in the presence of the Holy. I was called to the house of a church family; her father had died suddenly and unexpectedly; after sharing the time of grief and shock together, she asked, "David, before you go would you say a prayer for us." We gathered in a big hugging circle, bowed our heads, and through the sniffles and tears we prayed.

In the Gospel of Luke, Jesus was praying and after he finished, the disciples came to him as said, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples." (Luke 11:1) It appears from this and other documents that it was common for a teacher or rabbi to teach his followers a specific prayer as an example of prayer thereby teaching one’s view of God and spiritual life. John did it; Jesus did it. I want to begin this series today by talking with you about some of the basics behind prayer that we often take for granted yet need to say. We will use the phrases of the Lord’s Prayer as the basis for our learning; this series on prayer will take us most of this fall.

Last week I began the sermon by referring to two teenage girls talking on the phone together as they prepared for a Friday night party. Well, let’s continue with that image this week. They have been together at school that day; they have shared some about their new classes and teachers. Within 10 minutes of getting back home, they are on the telephone again talking in more detail about the new boy in English class, the hairstyle that Jennifer got, the homework assignment in geometry, the tough approach the new teacher in history was taking. After 45 minutes of this, mom calls out, "It’s time to get off the phone and get your homework done; besides, I want to talk to you."

Though God is awesome and powerful, creator of the universe, prayer is really conversation with God. Sometimes people feel awkward in praying because they are afraid God will be mad at them if they don’t say it right, or the whole idea of talking to the Holy God. We frequently talk about bowing our head and closing our eyes – to focus on God, but also a position of a servant standing before the Master. Private prayer should be like talking to a friend. We can talk to God about anything and everything in honest and straightforward language.

Prayer is conversation with God about how we are thinking and feeling. It needs to be honest and open because God knows our hearts better than we know ourselves. We can’t hide anything from God. God knows how we feel and what we need before we verbalize it. So, be honest, even blunt. God can take it. "God, I’m really scared about how this surgery is going to go tomorrow." "God, I’m so mad I could spit nails." There are also times when we cannot put into words how we are feeling. On more than one occasion I have cried out, "Oh, God…" That was all I could say, and I knew that God understood what I could not put into words at that moment. As Paul talked about in Romans – sighs too deep for words.

Since prayer is like a conversation, the talking should not be all one sided. Friends don’t last long if we talk all the time and don’t let them share or respond. So, part of praying is listening. I don’t know many people who claim that God has talked with them, but an important part of our spiritual journey is waiting, listening, being in the presence of God without our talking. It is not easy to clear the mind, but the attitude of listening is part of developing the spiritual side of our lives. As we develop the ability to be in silence before God, we become more open to hearing God speak to us through Scripture, through a book or meditation or another person’s advice or through a thought or feeling that comes to us that feels right.

We have all been around young children who are constantly asking for things, "Mommy, I want a new toy; Mommy, I want a cookie; Mommy, hold me; Mommy, please tie my shoes; Mommy, I want some candy." Children are developing their communication skills and discovering who they are as a person, but we also know that it is not healthy for a child to get everything he/she wants. It is definitely not good parenting for a parent to give in to the child’s every whim. Some things are not good for them; some are not healthy; parents do not have the ability to buy everything. Parents see the larger picture as to what is best and the total needs of the family. Children need to hear the word "no" realizing that parents are looking out for their good, even if they can’t see it at the moment.

The same goes with prayer and God. Prayer is not a time to expect and demand from God anything and everything we want. God is not our personal genie in a bottle ready at any moment to say, "Your wish is my command." Yet that is how we frequently approach God. "God, heal my mother." "God, we need $5,000 right now." "God, I want to be rich so I can enjoy the good life." God answers prayer, but not always as we want. Sometimes it is "yes", sometimes it is "no", sometimes "not now," sometimes it is "something else."

Jesus was so in tune with God and God’s will, that what he prayed for was what God wanted to give. That, I believe, should be the goal for all of us – prayerfully be in touch with God so that our will becomes God’s will. What we ask for will be what God wants to give. We have in the Gospel accounts, though, in the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus prayed that he not have to go through with his death, but he also ended that pray by saying, "Thy will be done." Prayer is honest conversation that includes seeking God’s will and direction. Not everything is going to go as we want it in life; God never promised us a smooth easy path. God promised that God would be with us and give us the strength to be faithful and endure.

So, a big part of prayer for me is getting to the deepest level of honesty that I can. It is expressing what are the root issues of the joy, pain, fear, anxiety that I am feeling and sensing. I discover what are the underlying issues. As we grow in our spiritual depth, prayer becomes less self centered and selfish, and becomes an avenue of deep communion with God. It is not imposing on God our views and attitudes. We begin to see life from God’s perspective; we begin to see other people from God’s perspective. We begin to look at our family, our jobs, our community from God’s perspective. We become shaped by God.

Their names were Will and Myrtle Evans; when we lived in Laverne, Oklahoma right out of seminary, they were in their 90s. Will had been born in a sod hut on the Oklahoma prairie before statehood. They had suffered through the dustbowl days and could tell you story after story about those years. They had a plaque on the wall in their living room – Gold Star Mother – they lost a son in WWII. I would visit them on occasion and we would share together. There were times when we just sat together, nothing was said or needed to be said. They sat quietly holding hands. They had experienced so much together that they knew each other’s thoughts before they spoke.

We need to set aside time to pray, but there is also the goal in life in which prayer is not something we become – it becomes a part of who we are. As Will and Myrtle had become one over the years, words were often not needed, so prayer becomes a part of our being and the presence of God is a part of our lives. Over time our conversation with God grows into a life of praying without ceasing as the Apostle Paul mentioned. We begin to see life from God’s perspective; we read the scriptures from a different angle; we enjoy being in the presence of God when no words need to be said.

When was the last time you talked with God? When was the last time you listened to God? Prayer is that holy conversation that can shape our lives and enrich our spirit. Do you have a relationship with God? It’s time to pray.