Prayer is simply talking with God. But for most people, God is far away, and talking with God is a foreign concept, and possibly a figment of our own imagination… a crutch to help us through the painful moments, and keeping us humble in our victories.
Prayer is truly about communing with God. “Prayer” to me doesn’t seem like the best word to describe the act. “Pray” – meaning to request, to plead, to beg, etc.. seems to imply a nagging relationship where God looks down upon us from above sometimes saying “yes” and sometimes “no” to our requests, and when he says “no”, if we pray harder, plead harder, beg more, he may change his answer to “yes”. This may be true sometimes and there is a time to plead, and to intercede, and not give up. There are a multiple instances about this in the Bible, which having their own distinction and importance, however, I want to talk about prayer as a constant and consistent practice.
Practicing the presence of God, is how Brother Lawrence explained his prayer life. He meant that he was constantly aware of God all around himself, and in this world. While working, or playing, while in pain or in joy, to practice always recognizing God’s presence. He would look for and see God in everything. Praying not to get something from God, but rather to give yourself, and to join with Him in what he is doing. Prayer is to recognize and partner with what He is already doing. We are the ones blind walking in a world in which God is already at work.
Jesus taught us to pray: “Your kingdom come, your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven”. Matthew 6:10 This is everything. It’s gospel – the good news is that His kingdom is coming soon. His will being done is the fulfillment of His Kingdom coming. He also says, “I only do what I see my Father doing.” These are principles which should guide our lives every day. We should be like our teacher. He is the way, and he is showing the way. The door. The truth. “if you love me, you will obey my commandments.” That means to do as he did and as he said. Pretty simple (not easy, but simple).
