Aug 12th, 2020: Prayers Have Many Expressions

 

Praying is a challenging aspect of life for me. I am not one of those people who kneel, close my eyes, and have to be at a specific location. Sometimes I sing but not out loud. I sing in my mind. Sometimes I go for a long walk so that I can sense that God is walking with me. Sometimes I sit still by a river and listen to the water flowing downstream. I tend to hear God better that way. Sometimes I read the Bible. Sometimes I write down what is going on in my heart. Sometimes I feel God's love. Sometimes I feel quite removed from Him.

I am not religious in my prayers. A young man told me once that I had the shortest prayer for a meal for being a pastor. I know that it should be a time to listen to God, and yet I find myself talking too much. Sometimes I talk to God as if He has absolutely no clues of what I am going through. A family of a man, who killed his wife and kids, asked me to see him after he was convicted and before he was sent to another province to serve his life sentence. I can still remember that I wanted to pray for the meeting, and yet nothing came out of my mouth. I soon discovered that I was praying in my own anguish. I asked the man what he would like me to do by asking me to see him. He wanted me to listen to his life story. That was the beginning of my prayer for him.

I have done my share of hospital visits. Honestly, it was not my favourite kind of pastoral visit. However, over many years I have learned to appreciate the power of being there as a form of prayer. Sometimes I read because the person I visit is too sick to be aware of my being there. Being there has spiritual significance, and it does not require the patient's awareness. Being there is praying in silence so that I might be able to identify with God's love for him (her).

Another form of prayer for me is my memory of my journey with God. It helps me to rediscover how God has been with me. I am at peace and comforted when that happens because my heart is full with the knowledge that I am loved. It is not because I deserve that kind of love. It is about a loving God. When we can rediscover our ability and freedom to give thanks, we regain the needed hope to go on with serving people. It is a humbling experience in many ways because we are not just giving what we have but also what God has entrusted within us. Praying is a dynamic process when that happens. It is not just about asking but participating with God in His ongoing care the world.

Philippians 4:6 "Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus."